Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Brat
by mollymop-6031
Summary: Peter Parker might be your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, but when he gets carried away and finds himself in trouble, Tony Stark is there to help him and rein him back in. (Warning: contains spanking of teen)
1. Setting the Boundaries

**Author's Note: Hi guys. I've not posted here in quite a while but I've done a bit of co-writing this summer with the fabulous Teddy1008 and am finally getting round to posting the start of this mini-series. Let us know what you think and hopefully it isn't too rusty. This does contain corporal punishments in later chapters so be warned now (although nothing too drastic).**

Peter couldn't believe he was here. Meeting Tony Stark had been a dream come true, but going from the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man to joining the league of superheroes in freaking Berlin was something else.

"Woah!" He ducked out of the way of a punch and tried to get the upper hand. For a few minutes, it worked but he was getting so easily distracted with all the excitement that a shot landed and he let out a groan as he let go of his web.

He shook away the pain and hopped up, swinging through the air and shooting his webs at Ant-Man who was bigger than him right now.

As Ant-Man swung at him, lunging forward and trying to grab him, he shot his webs forward, an idea popping into his head, before beginning to wrap them around Ant-Man's body. All that was in his mind was that he had to show Mr. Stark what he could do. "Hey, guys!" he shouted as he continued to swing. "Have you ever seen that really old movie, _The Empire Strikes Back_?"

When he received no response, he decided to just continue on with his plan. It didn't seem like they had a better one anyway. "You know that part, where they're on the snow planet, with the walking thingies?" he yelled, praying to God that his idea would work.

He was relieved to feel a burst of satisfaction when he saw Ant-Man topple over after being hit by Rhodey and Tony, losing his balance once his legs were tied up with his webs. Cheering, he swung forward. "That was awesome—oof!"

He grunted as his opponent's massive hand hit him hard, sending him flying through the air in an unexpected free fall. "Ahh!" He tried to get his bearings as he fell so he could sling some webs but he couldn't find anything to attach to. Where had all the easy surfaces disappeared suddenly? His heart started to beat faster in a panic.

Suddenly, he wasn't falling anymore, held still by solid metal as his descent slowed. He looked up into the metal mask of Iron Man. "Mr. Stark, you, you saved me. Thanks! We gotta get back out there and…"

He was cut off by Tony as they landed and Tony set him down on the ground. "You did a great job, kid, but you're done. Find somewhere safe and lay low until this is over."

Peter let out an indignant huff and shook his head, gesturing towards the battle going on in the air. "But Mr. Stark, I'm fine! This is important. I didn't get hurt, I…" He started to jump into the air again as he protested, stopping and dropping back to his feet when Tony stopped mid acceleration to glare at him.

"Stay down!" the older man growled as he set off to return to the battle going on behind them.

Peter considered doing as he had been ordered to do. He really did. But when there was a loud explosion above him, he knew he couldn't stay down. How would it look to the others in the battle if he did that? Besides, if he rejoined the fight and showed Mr. Stark how well he could fight, he would be so impressed with him!

His decision made, he stood up, stretching and groaning at his tense muscles. He was sure he had a few bruises here and there, but with his enhanced special abilities, they would heal so quickly they didn't even matter to him.

Jumping back into the fight, he shot his webs at Captain America — Captain _freaking_ America! — and swung away when the man turned to him.

"Stay out of this, kid," Steve called to him, easily ducking when Peter shot a web at him again. "This is something complicated."

"Sorry, Captain, I don't wanna disrespect you or anything, but I gotta impress Mr. Stark!" Peter called back, swinging forward, trying to kick the shield in Steve's hand. The wind was knocked out of him when he was striked back easily, sending him flying. "Oof!" He landed in a pile of boxes.

It took him a moment to regain his senses, blinking rapidly.

He groaned, taking a moment to feel his muscles aching. Man, being a superhero was really hard, he thought miserably. He just wanted to impress Mr. Stark. He started to get up again, but Captain America appeared beside him. Peter tried to web him but the older man easily dodged it.

"Seriously, kid. You're a good fighter and you've held your own, but stay out of this. Tony won't be able to forgive himself if you get hurt on his watch. He's trying to do the right thing here, I guess, but he's wrong. I know you won't believe that but please, just stay down. None of us want to hurt you, but this is all new to you."

"Hey! I'm just as good as the rest of you!" Peter insisted indignantly.

Steve managed to smile, shaking his head in amusement. "No kid, nobody's saying that you aren't. You're just as skilled as anyone here, but this isn't your fight. Now, I won't ask again. Stay out of this." With that, America's first superhero stood and returned to join his teammates.

Peter watched in defeat as Captain America joined the fight, seriously torn. It was seriously cool that _the_ Captain America thought he was talented, but he'd just gotten his butt kicked by him really, really fast… Peter groaned. Oh, God, he'd looked like such a kid in comparison. He realised belatedly that the others had moved further away as they fought and scrambled upright, head pounding. "Hey, wait for me!" he yelled, webbing towards them.

By the time he got there the battle was almost over, and he realised with horror that there were a few casualties. For one thing, Rhodey's legs looked like they'd been blown off. Peter let out a shocked gasp, stepping away and starting to ramble anxiously. "Woah, what happened? What did I miss? I was only down for a minute…"

He looked around, body tingling numbly at the sight of Rhodey's legs. After a few seconds, he found Tony helping Natasha to lift Rhodey onto a stretcher, and before he knew it, he called out, "Mr. Stark!"

Tony's head whipped up towards him as Rhodey was carried off quickly for medical attention.

Anxiously, Peter continued stumbling over his words, unsure of what to do or say. "Mr. Stark, is there anything I can do to help? Do you want me to… I can—"

He was dismayed to hear Tony respond by growling, "Yeah, there _is_ something you can do. You can explain to me what in the world made you think that jumping back into the fight after I clearly told you not to was okay!" He was standing so close to Peter now that their chests were only a few inches apart.

Peter gulped. "Mr. Stark, I was just—"

"I don't to hear excuses; I want an explanation!" Tony interrupted, crossing his arms and looking extremely displeased.

Peter just stared at the ground, cheeks burning, unable to come up with a good enough excuse — no, explanation — that would satisfy Tony. God, Mr. Stark was so mad at him now. His plan to impress him definitely hadn't worked.

Seeming to grow more and more frustrated the longer the silence was drawn out, Tony ran a hand through his hair. Letting out a deep sigh, he spoke sternly. "We're going to be talking more about this later. Don't think for a moment that I'm gonna let this go, kid."

Peter just mutely nodded, keeping his gaze fixed on the ground, which had suddenly become much more interesting than before. He heard Tony's footsteps slowly fade away and only when he didn't hear any, he looked up. Inhaling shakily, he clenched his hands nervously. God, he was so screwed.

Tony walked away and ran a hand through his hair in agitation. What the hell had the kid been thinking? He didn't give out instructions for the fun of it, this was life and death. He didn't care how starstruck this kid was about meeting the Avengers, his happy go lucky attitude just didn't cut it. Tony sighed. What the hell was he meant to do now, he wondered. He shook his head. He'd have to figure that one out when things were sorted here.

He looked over a few minutes later and noticed Peter still standing forlornly in the same spot looking lost. For a moment, he was almost able to forgive and forget the direct disobedience, but that wouldn't help any of them in the long run. He cursed under his break. "Friday? Keep an eye on the kid for me, would you? And Veronica, tell me if he gets any dumb ideas to take off or do something stupid. And tell him to sit down on those crates over there or something. I'm going to be busy a while." He sighed when both AI's responded positively and turned his full attention to fixing up some of the chaos that had been caused and the ensuing damage. There was no way on this good Earth that this would help matters with this whole Accords mess.

By the time Tony had finished clearing up, Peter had managed to sit on the crates, his knees drawn up to his chin despite how childish it might look to anyone watching. The older Avenger made his way over with a sigh, a flutter or nerves in his belly. He'd never really been a role model for anyone before and he was a little unsure what the hell he was going to do now that it was time to talk. He sure hoped Peter had thought about his question and finally come up with an answer.

He reached the teen and leaned against the crate beside Peter's, arms folded over his chest as he looked out over the airstrip. "So, did you think about what I asked you earlier?" He questioned softly, sounding much calmer than he had before. It was only now he noticed the mask twisted up in Peter's hands having obviously been dragged off in the time his young intern had been left to think on his foolhardy actions.

Peter shrugged. "I thought I could help…" he mumbled eventually without meeting Tony's gaze. His cheeks started to heat up again. It seemed like they always did when he was under Tony's stern gaze.

"You thought you could help," Tony repeated dubiously, facial expression completely neutral and not revealing anything. "Help with…?"

"The fight," Peter responded softly, wringing the mask in his hands again, fidgeting nervously.

"Ah." Tony didn't say much, just pursing his lips. After a few moments of silence which felt like years to Peter, the man remarked, "And you didn't think that it would be helpful if you obeyed my orders?"

"No, well, yes, I mean—" Peter broke off, voice cracking a little, revealing how upset he actually was.

"I feel like there's more to it than just wanting to help," Tony told him, straightening up and crossing his arms, observing the teenager closely.

"I just wanted to help." Peter wondered if his reply had been a bit too fast. He licked his dry lips, reassuring himself that he wasn't lying. He just didn't want to tell Tony the entire truth—that he had wanted to impress him. He would sound like a total kid desperate for praise.

"Alright." Tony sounded unconvinced, but thankfully, he let the topic go. Or at least, Peter thought he did, until he said, "We'll talk more about that later."

"Later?" Peter gulped. Wasn't one lecture enough?! Apparently not, according to Tony.

"Get up, kid."

Peter scrambled to his feet, nearly falling off the crate in his haste. His heart was pounding in his chest, the sound of his blood rushing roaring in his ears. He stared at the ground, wishing a hole could just appear and swallow him so that he wouldn't be in this position. Although, even then, Tony would still manage to find him, he told himself wryly.

"Look at me, kid." Tony waited for Peter to comply nervously.

Peter didn't think it was possible for his face to turn any more red, but he swore it was getting hotter by the minute. He dragged his gaze up, worrying at his lower lip with his teeth. "Yes Sir, Mr. Stark?"

Tony sighed. The kid was like a damn oversized puppy. "Peter, listen to me. I asked you to come on this mission because I see a hell of a lot of potential in you. I see a young man with a moral compass who really does care about people. I see the kind of man I wish I'd been at your age. I also saw a lot of a younger me today. I wouldn't have followed orders either, but that is _precisely_ why I ended up in shitloads of trouble all the time. You think this is like high school and I'm some underpaid teacher bossing you around? Well, do you?"

Peter shook his head in a hurry, eyes wide. "No! Of course not…"

"Good. Because it's not, Mr. Parker. This isn't a game. People _die_ when we don't work together. What if seeing you'd disobeyed me had distracted me enough that that blast hit Rhodey's chest and not his legs, hmm? What if I'd killed Cap trying to save you from his shield? This battle wasn't to kill or maim anyone, it was to do the right thing and bring justice."

"I know that, Mr. Stark. Really, I do," Peter insisted softly, oblivious to the fact it sounded like a whine.

Tony stood up a little straighter and hoped he looked more tough and less drained than he felt. "I'm not sure that you do, because you put the lives of every single one of the Avengers at greater risk by not doing as you were told. This," he pointed between them. "Isn't going to work if you can't follow simple orders, Peter. I thought you were ready but I guess I was wrong."

Peter flinched as if his dog had just been kicked and he looked up at Tony with beseeching eyes. "Mr. Stark, please. I am ready, I swear I am! I won't disobey you again. Please, I'll… I'll do anything. Please just don't give up on me," he pleaded.

Tony studied him a moment, struggling not to smirk at the irony. The kid was stood there with his cap -or mask- in hand, literally, with so much misery piled into one look that Tony just couldn't stay mad. He couldn't do it. He sighed heavily. "Alright. Tell me the real reason you disobeyed me, and I'll let this one go. But I'm telling you now, Peter. You want to work with me? Well, there will be rules, and if you don't follow those rules there will be a shitload of trouble, more trouble than your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man knows what to do with."

"Yes, okay, alright," Peter stammered, in near tears at the thought of Tony thinking he wasn't ready. "I'll do whatever you say, I promise, I won't ever do anything stupid—"

"Peter," Tony interrupted, not unkindly. "You still haven't told me your reason."

"Oh, right, that." Peter gulped, squeezing his eyes shut for a few seconds, biting his bottom lip nervously. "I just …" He flushed, struggling to admit it.

"Go on."

"I just w-wanted to impress you." His voice was small as he struggled not to drop his eyes to avoid eye contact. He felt like a five year old child, not a fifteen year old teenager.

"You wanted to impress me." Tony sounded very, very unimpressed.

Peter nodded quickly, shifting his weight from side to side on his feet anxiously.

"Well, Mr. Parker," Tony said, making Peter since at the formality, "I'm guessing you wanted to prove to me that you were worthy of being a superhero. Well, you'll be very unhappy to know that the only thing you've proven to me is that you're an reckless, rash teenager!"

Peter flinched at the words, swallowing hard. "Mr. Stark, I—"

"And I don't want to hear any excuses because it sure as hell won't make anything better!"

Peter fell silent, quivering. His eyes burned with unshed tears and he clenched and unclenched his fists, trying not to cry.

Tony sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Listen, Peter, you're a good kid, I have no doubt of that. But like I said before, there are _responsibilities_ that come with this kind of work. And if I can't trust you to uphold those responsibilities, then I can't trust you to be one of us."

"I understand, Mr. Stark," Peter whispered. "Please, I'll make sure this won't ever happen again."

Tony was silent for a couple of moments as he considered his options. He was sure to the kid squirming in front of him, it must feel like an eternity. Eventually he nodded decisively. "Alright, okay. I believe you. But if you're serious about this then we need to lay some very definite base rules."

Peter looked at him with wide eyes but nodded nervously. "O-okay…"

Tony smiled at him wryly. "Relax, kid. I'm not going to kill you. I know I can be a little scary when I'm pissed, but I'm not mad anymore. I just want you to have boundaries. If you're serious about this superhero stuff then I think some rules will help you out. You are still a kid after all."

Peter groaned. "Aw, Mr. Stark… Do you really need to make rules?"

Tony raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, I do. Unless you'd rather try this out again in a couple of years when you're out of high school…"

"N-no! Mr. Stark, _please_ …"

Tony nodded. "That's what I thought, kid. Okay, here's the deal. Rule number one: If I give you an order, you follow it. If you have an issue with an order I give you, you talk to me about it."

"But… Today… How was I meant to talk to you when you just flew off like that?" Peter protested emotionally. He was feeling more than a little overwhelmed right now.

"That's because your safety was at risk. Actually, that brings me to rule number two: you don't put your life on the line unless its a real necessity. Your life isn't disposable. It can't just be tossed away or played with. I get that being a superhero comes with risks, but it's really important to learn to be wise and know when you make that risk and when you don't. You cross that line and I'll kick your scrawny ass for it." Tony paused and looked the kid over. "Any questions so far?"

Peter gulped and shook his head slightly. "No, Mr. Stark… Is… Uh, is that all of 'em?" he asked with worry evident in his voice.

Tony shook his head. "'Fraid not, Pete. Your grades are next. Your GPA is high. I expect it to stay that way. I see them drop or you start failing school, your web slinging days stop until you get it back up. Your mind is every bit of a weapon as your webs, so I expect you to train it too. Understood?"

Peter was able to nod more eagerly at that. Sure, he didn't always _like_ school, but he was good at it. He could keep that rule easy. "Got it, Sir."

Tony nodded and offered him a warmer smile. "Good man. Now, the next one… might sound dumb, but here goes anyway. Your Aunt May gives you chores and shit… Right?"

Peter blushed furiously. "Mr. Stark!" He protested in embarrassment.

"I'll assume that's a yes then…" Tony retorted dryly. "Don't worry, I'm not going to add to them. But I do expect you to help your Aunt out. She doesn't know about this whole superhero thing, and she'd worry if she did. So I expect you to help her out at home and spend time with her. She's already lost your Uncle, she doesn't need to lose you too."

"Oh…" Peter nodded. "Th-that… That seems fair, Mr. Stark."

"Good, because I agree." Tony gave a curt nod. "As time goes on, we'll see if there's anything else we should add to the list. Sound good?"

Peter nodded quickly. "Um, Mr. Stark?"

"Yeah, kid?" Tony raised an eyebrow, curious as to what the teenager had to say now.

"I really am sorry for not listening to you," Peter said, blushing.

Tony nodded, reaching out with one hand to give the teen's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I know, kid. I, uh, I forgive you." He offered him a smile and stood up straighter. "Now, I think it's time we got you home or May's gonna freak that you'll be home late on a school night. If only she knew…"

Peter gave him a small smile and nodded. Seeing Aunt May sounded really good around now. She always made him feel better. "Sure, Mr. Stark. Thanks."

"Of course. Look, I need to finish up here but I'll ask Happy to get you home. Thank you for your help here, kid. You did a good job, disobedience aside. I'm proud of you." Tony reached out to shake his hand before asking Friday to call Happy for him.

His chief of security appeared within minutes and surveyed the damage wearily. "Jeez, Tony. I thought this was a friendly?"

"It was," Tony confirmed with one brow raised. "I gotta finish overseeing things here, could you see to it that Mr. Parker gets home safely?"

"'Course, boss. Come on, Peter, you're gonna want to get changed first." Happy gestured for the teen to follow him. He waited for the teen to get changed then got him on Tony's private jet and took him back to New York. He was surprised by how subdued the kid was but decided not to ask; Peter tended to chatter and Happy had sworn his ears were going to fall off on the way here.


	2. The Suit

Tony was relaxed as hell right now. He sensed that this would be a good day, with no troubles, no stress — although, was there _ever_ a day like that for him? He took a sip of his drink, pulling out his phone when it started ringing. Seeing it was Happy, he picked up. "Hey—"

"Tony!" Happy yelled, making Tony nearly drop his phone in surprise. "The kid!"

Tony rolled his eyes, because seriously? This again? "Happy, I already told you that you're worrying about him too much. I—"

"Tony, I'm serious! Do you ever watch the news?" Happy cut in in frustration. "The kid's in trouble."

Tony stiffened and sat up immediately. "What about him?" he asked sharply, already on his way out.

"He's… turn on the damn TV!" Happy snapped.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Friday, could you put on whatever news Happy's talking about, please? Anything to do with Spider-Man."

Tony's eyes widened as the AI brought up the news story. "Well, _fuck._ Does that kid never listen?" he growled. "Happy, I'm on my way. Stay nearby, I'll need you to take him home after I fix this mess. Well, if I don't kill him first."

With that, he hung up abruptly.

It didn't take long to get into his suit and he was soon on his way to try and save the ferry that Peter was causing total chaos on. Why couldn't the kid ever just leave things alone? Tony asked Friday to keep him updated on the situation, swearing a couple of minutes later when she informed him that the infrastructure of the boat had been damaged. He accelerated in his suit and hurried to get to the boat before a load of innocent lives were lost.

He was aghast to see the damage on the ferry, seeing Peter barely managing to stop it from splitting in half. He flew to the side, pushing with all his might. Sure, he wanted to absolutely kill the kid, but that would have to wait until this little problem was resolved.

And God, the _nerve of this boy!_ When Tony flew around, repairing the damage, Peter swung around, calling after him, "Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark! Is there anything I can do to help? Do you need help? I can do it!"

"I think you've done enough," Tony growled back. He surveyed the damage he'd repaired and was satisfied when he determined that the boat wasn't in any danger of sinking or splitting in half now.

"Mr. Stark, I—"

Tony swooped forward straight towards Peter, making the boy yelp a little in surprise when he grabbed him and flew off.

"Mr. Stark, what're you—"

"I'm taking you to somewhere people can't see you so that we can have a little chat," Tony interrupted, angry now that he knew Peter wasn't hurt or in distress. Peter fell silent guiltily, much to Tony's satisfaction. _Good,_ he thought. The little brat deserved it.

He flew up onto the roof of one of the higher buildings in that area, deciding that would give them privacy while he tore the kid a new one, and he sure planned to do that. By the time he was finished, Peter's ears would be ringing.

Tony landed and put Peter down before moving away to pace in tense, angry silence. Eventually, he turned, offering Peter a hard look as he internally ordered Friday to remove his mask so they could talk face to face. "You want to tell me what the hell you were thinking? Better yet, which bit of 'do not go after Toomes' was too hard for you to grasp?"

"Mr. Stark… I… I was just… he's dangerous!" Peter stammered out nervously.

"Why do you think I told you not to go after him alone? You're fifteen years old!" Tony reminded him sharply.

"I tried to leave him alone, but… you weren't doing anything! If you'd done something I wouldn't have needed to take matters into my own hands! You didn't listen to me! None of this would've happened if you had just _listened_!" Peter blurted out angrily, clenching his fists. He had a whole array of emotions filling his mind and he was mad that Mr. Stark hadn't listened to him in the first place.

Tony's eyes narrowed. "I did listen, kid. Who do you think called the FBI? I knew Toomes was scheduled to make a deal today and I tipped them off. If you hadn't shown up? Toomes would be in custody right now."

Peter stepped back, looking surprised. "You called the FBI?" The trace of guilt in his tone was not gone unheard by Tony.

Tony took a few steps forward, crossing his arms. "Yeah, exactly. And _that_ is exactly why _you_ need to listen, kid. Do you understand that? You put yourself into danger today! What if you had died?"

"But I didn't—"

"But what if you did?"

Peter was staring at him mutely, eyes wide. "Mr. Stark, I… I didn't mean… I was trying to protect people!" he stammered weakly. How could he have made such a mess of things today?

Tony counted to ten in his head. "I told you to let me handle it. I told you that this wasn't something for you to worry about. Do you _really_ think I'd leave a madman running around NYC with alien technology? Kid, I would never put this city in danger like that."

Tony's voice had softened a little as he spoke. He looked at Peter long and hard before speaking again. "And I wouldn't put you at risk like that. Neither should you. You know Peter, having powers like yours gives you a hell of a lot of responsibility. I get it. I get that you're fifteen and carrying the weight of the world, but damn it! I gave you that suit to help you do what you were already doing, not so you'd nearly help a madman drown a few hundred people. And by the way, while we're on the topic of the suit, how the hell did you hack it?"

Peter shrunk back, and Tony hardened his glare. "Speak up, kid!" he barked when Peter mumbled something incorrigibly.

"Ned helped me," Peter squeaked, eyes wide. "But not a lot. He actually tried to stop me. I was the one who—"

"Made bad decisions," Tony finished, crossing his arms. "You were the one who didn't listen to me. The one who deliberately disobeyed orders. The one who hacked into a multimillionaire suit — which, you still haven't clearly explained how exactly you hacked. You were also the one who put yourself and hundreds of others _in danger_!"

Peter stared at the ground for a few seconds, and Tony was convinced that he had finally gotten some sense into the boy. He was proved wrong when Peter looked up, eyes wide, and said, "But I really was just—"

"Goddamnit, kid!" Tony threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. "Don't you understand the severity of this entire situation? You can't just do that!" Tony stepped closer, swallowing hard. "What if those people had died and you weren't able to do a single thing about it besides practically rip your arms from the sockets trying to hold that ferry together? You would've had to carry that guilt around with you forever. And if you had died? Well, I would've felt like that was on me."

Tony saw Peter's face flush a little with shame and he knew that he was getting to the kid.

Peter looked up and said shakily, "Yes, Sir, I understand, I'm sorry—"

"Sorry doesn't cut it," Tony said severely, inhaling sharply.

"I just … I just wanted to be like you!" Peter's voice cracked.

"And I wanted you to be _better_." Tony let out a loud frustrated huff of air, pinching the bridge of his nose. He wanted to be finished with this. He wanted the kid to just _understand_ so that he wouldn't have to yell at him anymore. He looked up. The kid wasn't going to learn anything if he didn't do anything.

Peter dropped his head in defeat. Hearing the disappointment in Mr. Stark's voice made his stomach curl in dread. "I'm sorry," he mumbled to his feet.

"Right." Tony sighed again. "Okay, this isn't working. I'm going to need that suit back, Peter. I don't think you're ready for this."

Peter's head shot up in shock and he stared at him blankly. "But….F-for how l-long, Mr. Stark?"

"Forever." Tony held his gaze seriously. "Peter, I can't risk the lives of innocent citizens for the sake of your hero complex."

"What? Mr. Stark, no! Please!" Peter started to back away, despair clearly etched on his face. "I'm nothing without the suit…"

"If you're nothing without the suit, then you shouldn't have the suit at all," Tony answered honestly. "Peter, give me the suit."

"I… I don't have other clothes…" Peter admitted, face flushed as he swiped at stray tears in embarrassment. "Please don't take the suit, Mr. Stark. I'll do anything."

"Anything?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "I highly doubt that. Besides, what makes you think I'm planning on bargaining with a teenager? You screwed up. You don't get to decide what happens as a result of that."

"No," Peter insisted desperately, shaking his head. He knew it sounded childish but he didn't care. He didn't want to lose his suit.

"And, you broke the rules that we had set," Tony continued. "What were they again? Oh, that's right — obeying my orders and not putting yourself in danger. Well, Mr. Parker? How about you look me in the eyes right now and tell me that you broke those rules, which were set for your own well-being, for a valid reason?"

Peter stared at the ground, cheeks flushed and looking ashamed. Tony raised an eyebrow. "Well, Mr. Parker?" When he was met with silence, he let out a sigh and said, "That's what I thought."

Peter looked ready to cry. He looked up at Tony with suspiciously bright eyes and pleaded, "Just… please, Mr. Stark, _please_ , don't take the suit away for _forever_! A month, two months, anything!"

" _Mr. Parker_!" Tony boomed, making the teenager swallow hard. "I've made my decision." He turned around, massaging his left wrist in slight distress. God, the kid's puppy eyes were too much for him to handle and go up against.

Peter tried not to whimper. "Y-Yes, Sir…" he managed to choke out brokenly.

Tony heard it and internally winced. God, he couldn't do this. "Damn it…" he muttered wearily. "If I deal with this another way you better believe it's going to really, really suck for you," he warned firmly.

Peter managed a small nod, eyes alight with wary hope, and Tony couldn't help but feel like he was making the right choice. His eyes took in a vacant expression as he calculated his options. He'd never had to be responsible for someone else, not in a mentorship role, and he was at a loss. He had no idea what the hell he was doing here.

As he brainstormed, an idea started to plant itself in the back of his mind, something that Steve had said a while back. What was it? Tony wracked his genius' brain trying to remember. Eventually, it came back to him. They'd been running an errand together and had watched a bunch of teenagers causing hell, and Steve had muttered about how he'd not have gotten away with that as a kid and how kids these days needed a more hands-on approach like he'd experienced. In fact, Tony remember with a small, sad smile, Steve had told the kids they'd better fix their attitudes before he got tempted to swat them. Tony had never seen teens run so fast before in his life.

He shook his head at the memory, then looked at Peter. The kid was stood solemnly with his head bowed, scuffing one foot against the roof of the building and wringing his mask in his hands as he waited for a verdict. Suddenly, Steve's words didn't seem so ludicrous anymore. Peter looked like a guilty kid in that moment and Tony knew it would mortify the teen. It would also be over fast and would get through to him. Tony sighed and scratched his neck then cleared his throat, causing Peter's head to shoot up nervously. "You serious about being willing to take any consequences?"

Peter nodded hard. "Yes, Mr. Stark, Sir…"

Toby nodded brusquely. "Then I think I just might have an answer to our problem. You have two choices, and only two. Either you can give me the suit back without any more protests, or I'm going to spank you soundly as a little incentive to be more responsible." The billionaire hoped his voice wasn't trembling as much as he felt like it was.

"You… y-you… what?" Peter seemed shocked, swallowing hard.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "You heard me. No suit, or a spanking."

Peter just stared at him. It wasn't like being spanked was totally alien to him; Uncle Ben had swatted him a couple of times growing up, although he'd not been properly spanked. Well, no, he had. But only like twice! And now freaking _Iron Man_ was saying that? Peter felt a little dizzy with shock. "Those are my only choices? But, Mr. Stark, they both _suck_!"

Tony's lips quirked up in a half aborted smile before he frowned. "People dying would have sucked a whole lot more, kid. _You_ dying would have really sucked for a lot of people. This don't-care attitude can't go on, and if I have to be a jerk to make sure things change, then fine, that's what I'll do. I gave you very clear rules that you chose to disobey."

"But… it was for a good reason!" Peter tried, but Tony just shook his head.

"It's one or the other, kid."

Peter hung his head, seeming to finally realize that Tony was dead serious about this. "Alright, I'll take the s-spanking." He stumbled over the last word, not able to believe that he was choosing this option. "But… Mr. Stark, please don't go too hard on me." He looked at Tony pitifully.

Tony just snorted and said, "I'm gonna go as hard as I need to, kid. You'll be feeling it when I'm done with you." He turned around to scan the roof of the building they were standing on. When he found an acceptable place for him to sit, he gave a firm nod and turned back to Peter. "Alright, Mr. Parker, follow me."

Peter followed obediently, though he was still wringing his hands nervously. However, when Tony sat down, Peter stopped dead, blanching. "You're gonna do it _here_?"

"Well, where else would I do it?" Tony raised an eyebrow, narrowing his eyes.

"I-I dunno; the Avengers Tower, my room, anywhere but _here_!"

Tony snorted again, slightly amused as he said, "Kid, if I took you to the Avengers Tower, you'd be more excited than a five year old on Christmas Day. That's a reward, not a punishment. And unfortunately for you, you live in your house with your aunt, and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't understand why I was tanning your ass in her home."

Peter didn't think it was possible for his face to heat up more, but apparently he'd been wrong. He groaned as he realised Mr. Stark was right. "Oh man… this is the worst day of my life!"

Tony's lips quirked. "I'm sure you'll survive, although the next few minutes won't be any fun. Now, come here."

Peter gulped but obediently nodded and shuffled over, head down and eyes fixed on the ground. He scuffed his feet on the roof miserably. "H-how are you gonna d-do it?"

"Like this," Tony answered simply, reaching out and tugging the kid over his left knee quickly before using his right leg to pin his ankles.

"Woah, Mr. Stark! Wait!" Peter protested in a high pitched whine.

"'Fraid not, kid. You might want to settle down." Tony flexed his hand before resting it on the kid's backside. "Here's the deal. I doubt it'll be a problem but you don't swear at me in this position and you don't get up unless I say so. We clear about that?"

"Yes, S-Sir!" Peter blurted out nervously.

"Good. Why are we here, Peter?" Tony asked, sitting up straighter and forcing himself to go stern again. All he needed to do was think about the kid almost getting hurt and suddenly it wasn't so hard to feel strict again.

"I… I dunno, because I broke the rules?" Peter seemed panicked, squirming.

Tony felt that it was a good time to land a spank now. So, he did. He brought his hand down, unable to help but wince a little when Peter let out a small yelp. "That's a little vague, don't you think?"

Peter hung his head even lower, if possible. God, this sucked! "Okay, okay!" he stammered, cheeks burning. "Uh, because I disobeyed you and hacked the suit."

It sounded less like a question this time. Tony decided that it was the best he was gonna get out of the kid this time, especially considering it was their first time in this position. He really hoped he was doing things right. He still wasn't very confident about this whole mentorship thing. "That sounds about right," Tony acknowledged. "You also put yourself, not to mention others, in danger but we'll get to that later."

Peter gulped and squirmed, but managed to nod weakly.

Tony decided that he'd said the important thing at that point and settled into a rhythm. He didn't know how hard was too hard, so tested out a few different strengths until Peter was letting out little yelps and squirming. That seemed about right. He started to spank in earnest, determined to make sure this lesson stuck.

For a few moments the only sound was that of his hand meeting the kid's backside, but soon, Peter was starting to protest and plead tearfully. "Mr. Stark, please! I swear I'll never do it again! I'll b-be good… I'll be the best h-hero ever!"

Tony smiled and shook his head fondly. "I'm sure you'll try at least. I hope this makes an impression, Peter, because I am _not_ about to sit by and let you endanger yourself and others."

"I won't!" Peter protested, squirming as Tony brought his hand down continuously. "I promise! I swear! I'm sorry!"

"You've mentioned," Tony acknowledged. "You know, Peter, you've said you're sorry a couple of times before, but I think you're sorry that you got caught, not that you broke the rules."

Peter made a frustrated noise when he found that he couldn't squirm away. This sucked. And it _hurt._ It really, really hurt. He let out a shocked yelp when Tony brought his hand down particularly hard twice.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"'M sorry that I broke the rules!" Peter tried, feeling the back of his eyes stinging.

"Oh?" Tony finally paused, and Peter let out a few shuddery breaths. His backside burned. "So, if I hadn't caught you — which, I would've eventually, mind you — you would have come to me and told me that you disobeyed my orders, hacked into the suit, and put lives in danger?"

Peter whimpered, trying to think fast for a good answer. "I … I would've come to you eventually—"

" _Eventually_ is _not_ the same as you would've!" Tony brought his hand down again, feeling that the brief pause had been enough for Peter to regain a bit of his composure.

"Ow! Ow, ow, owwww! M-Mr. Stark!" Peter wailed, trying to kick his legs.

Tony had a strong hold on him though and wasn't about to let go in a hurry. "Peter, I'm really disappointed. I've put a lot of trust in you with this suit and you went behind my back and hacked it and were prepared to lie to me. Those aren't the characteristics of a hero. They're the traits of a child who doesn't know how to behave."

"But… I — I do, Mr. Stark!" Peter protested, a few tears filling his eyes.

"I know you do, kid, and that's why I'm so disappointed in your actions. You know better than this. You can do much better than this," Tony scolded honestly.

Peter let out a dry sob at that. All he had wanted to do was show Mr. Stark how good he was, and it had backfired completely. Now he was in this embarrassing position, backside burning, and getting a lecture as if he were a six year old. "Sorry!" he managed to whimper out. "Just … just wanted to m-make you p-p-proud!"

Tony let out a sigh. God, this kid was gonna be the death of him! "Peter," he said firmly.

"Y-Yes, Mr. Stark?" the teenager responded shakily.

"If you want to make me proud, then you follow the rules. You don't put yourself in danger, you don't put others in danger, and you definitely don't hack into things that I've made for your own safety. You also _listen_ to me, because you might not like it, but you're just a kid."

"I'm fifteen," Peter said weakly.

"Yes, I know. You're fifteen — Peter, that's incredibly young for you to be trying to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"'M not, though!" Peter protested tearfully, and Tony landed a few harder spanks, feeling that the teenager's tone was getting a bit too impertinent for his liking. "Owww! Mr. Stark, I'm not! I just wanna h-help—"

"You help by listening to me and what I tell you," Tony interrupted firmly, having heard enough. "You help by keeping yourself alive with the least amount of injuries possible. You help by following the rules that I've set for you, because they were made for your own good."

"B-But, I can—"

"No, you can't." Tony stopped spanking, noting that the teenager's backside was bright red now. Jeez, that had to be hurting. "Look, kid, listen to me." When the teenager didn't say anything, he continued on. "You've said you want to make me proud, but your actions today have only proved to me that I need to keep a better eye on you. You haven't made me proud at all, kid. I'm very, very disappointed."

Peter's crying hitched at that.

"If you want to make me proud, then you do it by acting sensibly and maturely," Tony continued, raising his hand for what felt like the hundredth time and bringing it down. " _Not_ the way you did today. If you're always sneaking around behind my back like that, how am I supposed to trust you?"

"Not a-always!" Peter wailed.

Tony rolled his eyes at that. Of course, even when he was being spanked, the boy was stubborn.

"Peter," he prompted firmly. "If you want me to trust you and give you more opportunities, then you need to prove to me that you are trustworthy. I see a lot of potential in you but you need help staying on the straight and narrow right now. You think your Aunt May would have been able to handle it if I'd had to tell her you'd died?"

Genuine tears escaped Peter's eyes, sliding down his cheeks. He shook his head in anguish. "N-no, Mr. S-Stark. I'm s-sorry… I didn't mean to mess everyth-thing up…" he got out in a gravelly voice.

Tony sighed heavily. "I know you didn't, kid. Look, Peter, I know your heart is in the right place. That's what makes this so damn frustrating. I know you just want to help and make the world a better place, and I admire your courage and genuine care. But damn it, Peter, you're going about this the wrong way. You need to trust me here. I know things you don't and I work with people you know nothing of right now. I'm not abandoning you, or ignoring you. I'm doing things through the right channels and in the safest way possible."

Peter wiped at his face and nodded, cheeks flushed and head starting to hurt. "Yes, Sir…" he whispered. "I'll listen to y-you and keep the rules b-better…"

"That's what I'm asking of you, kid. I know you can keep these rules. I believe in you. Make me proud now, alright?" Tony prompted.

Peter nodded desperately. "I will! I will, please just s-stop…"

Tony hummed, not unsympathetically. "Almost done, kid. Hold tight."

Peter whimpered over his knee but Tony knew he needed to make a lasting impression or they'd wind up back here again in no time. The older man started to spank again, landing a dozen more spanks as Peter cried miserably, then finally stopped. He shifted his leg off of Peter's legs and patted his back a little awkwardly. "All done, Pete. Deep breaths for me," he soothed patiently. He hoped he didn't sound as uncertain as he felt.

Peter sucked in shuddering breaths and tried to get his tears under control. "I.. I'm s-sorry, Mr. St-Stark…"

"Shh, I know. I'm not mad anymore. Just breathe, kid." Tony waited until he seemed calmer before helping him upright, reaching out a hand to catch him when Peter wobbled on his feel like a newborn colt. "Woah, easy there."

Peter flushed and kept his gaze resolutely on the ground, sniffling every so often.

Tony scratched at his neck awkwardly for a minute, unsure of what to do next. The kid looked so baleful and in need of a hug but Tony didn't hug anyone other than Pepper. Jeez, this was a mess. He sighed, eventually caving. "Hey, c'mere," he murmured, taking in a deep breath before pulling Peter into a hug. "I know that sucked and I seem like an ass but I'm only tough on you because I see all your potential and want to see you be all you can be. And even more than that, kid? I care about you."

Peter inhaled sharply and looked up with tearful eyes. "For real?"

Tony huffed out a laugh. "Yeah, kid. For real."

Peter didn't say anything in response, so Tony just patted him on the back as soothingly as he could, hoping his movements didn't come off as too awkward to Peter. "Look, kid, just, _please_ listen to me next time."

"I will," Peter sniffled, finally drawing back from Tony's hug, making a brief flash of relief course through Tony. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy comforting Peter. He was just scared he would mess things up, although he'd never actually admit that to the kid.

"I know." Tony placed a hand on Peter's shoulder, letting out a sigh as he looked the kid up and down. "You okay?"

Peter nodded mutely, just bringing an arm up to scrub at his tear-stained cheeks. "Sorry," he mumbled, cheeks flushing as it finally properly hit him that _the_ Tony Stark had spanked him.

"Good, you should be." Tony gave a nod, exhaling slowly. "You ever pull something like that again, and I'll make that spanking feel like a walk in the park. You got it?"

Peter's eyes widened and he nodded furiously.

Tony gave another curt nod, finally unable to resist the temptation and reached out to ruffle Peter's hair. As he turned around to regain the little bit of composure he'd lost during the hug, Peter spoke up meekly.

"Mr. Stark?"

Tony paused. "Yeah, kid?"

"I can keep the suit, right?"

Tony couldn't help the huff of laughter that escaped. "Yeah, underoos, you can."


	3. Growing Pains

**Author's Note: Thanks for all your reviews so far guys, we've loved them and are so encouraged by people's feedback/thoughts/comments! Please keep that up :) I will respond to reviews ASAP! Here is your next installment, enjoy!**

"Where have you been?"

Peter stopped from where he was shutting the front door, hanging his head. Trying to buy himself some time, he fiddled with his shoes, finally kicking them off. When he looked up, Aunt May seemed just as upset as she had sounded. She raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

Peter slowly made his way forward, swallowing hard. "Aunt May, I—"

"I don't want to hear excuses!" she interrupted. "It's always an excuse, Peter. I need a _reason_ , not just some pathetic excuse, young man!"

"I always give you a reason," Peter tried. "I was just out with—"

"No!" Aunt May sounded distressed, far more upset than she usually was. "Listen to me, young man, I have never been so disappointed—"

"No, Aunt May, you listen!" Peter retorted defensively. "You've never had a problem with me staying out late before with Ned!"

Her jaw dropped. "Yes, that was because you were out with Ned! I knew where you were, who you were with, and if you were even _alive_!" She looked ready to cry. "Please, Peter, you can't just leave like that and not come back until 2 AM. Please, _please_ don't leave me wondering what happened to you!"

Peter took a step back, clenching his fists, unsure of what to say.

May sighed, blinking back tears. "Alright. I'm not doing this. You, young man, are grounded."

Now it was Peter's turn for his jaw to drop. " _What?!_ " he spat out incredulously. "You can't do that!"

"I'm your guardian, Peter, so yes, I can. You want to argue? Fine, but you just extended your stay in this apartment. These late night disappearing acts are over. Go to your room."

"This is so stupid!" Peter retorted, chest heaving. "I'm sorry that I missed curfew but this is totally unnecessary. Uncle Ben would never have been like this!"

May's eyes narrowed and her hands found her hips before her right hand flew up to point at him in warning. "That's a lie and you know it. Your Uncle Ben wouldn't stand for this. He'd be so disappointed in you tonight. He'd ask how we're supposed to _trust_ you if you do things like this. Now, go to your room. It's late. Straight to bed. We'll talk more tomorrow."

Peter rolled his eyes and glowered at her. "I hate you," he muttered heatedly before turning on his heel for his room and slamming the door.

May's face fell the moment door closed and a few moments later, she brushed away stray tears. She hated arguing with him. It rarely happened because they were so close but when it did it tended to be explosive. She went to get herself a glass of water and calm down.

She drank the soothing liquid and gradually calmed down, glancing at her nephew's room. She couldn't let him go to sleep thinking she was mad at him. She made her way over and tentatively knocked on his door. "Peter? Honey?"

Silence greeted her. She frowned, worried. "Can I come in?" When he ignored her again, she sighed and quietly opened the door. She gasped when she realised the room was empty and spotted his open window.

"Peter? Peter!" she called, hurrying over and looking out nervously. There was no sign of him anywhere. She stood frozen a moment before remembering about Ned and hurried to call his family.

center***/center

Peter swung through the neighbourhood, keeping his eyes open for anything he could do. He gritted his teeth in irritation when he remembered the argument he'd had with his aunt. He supposed he felt a bit guilty — he knew that she worried about him, especially after what happened to his uncle. But seriously? Curfew? He had never seen her get so upset about coming home late before.

He wasn't running away. No, it was the furthest thing from that. He was just looking to relieve his stress and release his anger. Then, he'd go back home and he and May would talk. He wasn't looking forward to it, especially considering the words he'd spoken, but he knew it wasn't something that could be avoided.

Peter sighed when he landed on top of the roof of a building, slightly disappointed at the lack of action he was seeing. Fighting some guys would probably help release his anger. He was nearly convinced that there was nothing going on that he could resolve when he heard a shriek. Easily tracking down the source of the sound, he grinned when he landed in front of an elderly lady. "Hello, ma'am! This is Spiderman at your service; is there anything I can—"

"He stole my purse!" she shrieked, making Peter wince at her loud tone.

Deciding not to question why she was out past 2 in the morning, he immediately leaped after the man, who was speedily making his way down the street.

Peter laughed when he easily caught him, webbing him up and snatching back the purse before returning it to the lady. After waving off her continuous, "Thank you, young man," he made his way back up the roof of the building.

He huffed out a breath as he sat down, relaxing. Well, that had certainly helped, though he still felt a bit irritated. Letting out a sigh, he swung his legs off the edge of the roof, letting them dangle.

He looked out across the night sky, taking in the sights and sounds, and tried not to think of his Aunt. His cell rang in his pocket and he sighed. "Hey, Karen, who is it?"

"Ned, Mr. Parker," the AI answered.

Peter groaned. "Don't answer. In fact, put my phone on do not disturb or something. Thanks, Karen."

"Of course, Mr. Parker. He's leaving a voicemail. Should I play it?"

"No thanks, Karen. I just gotta clear my head awhile, you know?" he explained, starting to feel restless again.

"Understood, Peter," the AI confirmed.

He sat a few for minutes before standing up with a sigh. He'd just take down one more bad guy and then he'd go home and make peace with May… he was starting to web off the roof when as his phone started ringing again. "Karen, I thought I said no calls?" he bemoaned in frustration as he swung through the air.

"I understand, Mr. Parker, but Mr. Stark won't take no for an answer," Karen explained.

A moment later, Tony's voice sounded in his suit and shit, he sounded mad. Not the obvious kind of mad, Peter realised, but the quiet, disappointed kind. He inwardly winced. "Mr. Stark, hi! I can't talk, I'm in the middle of something—"

"Like arguing with May and going AWOL?" Tony asked in response and Peter could practically _hear_ him raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't go AWOL, I went on patrol to clear my head," Peter corrected with a very teenage attitude sounding huff.

"After arguing with her because you were late for curfew after patrolling?" Tony surmised patiently. "Peter, it's almost 3 AM and your Aunt is freaking out. Hell, _Ned_ is freaking out. I would be freaking out about getting a call at 2:30 AM that you're missing, but I know how stubborn you are."

"No, I'm not…" Peter retorted.

"Yes you are, Peter," Tony corrected. "And I'm giving you a chance to go home without me coming to find you."

"Yeah, whatever. You couldn't find me even if you tried," Peter sassed. "Karen, end call."

"Hey! Peter Par—"

The call ended, and Peter continued swinging, feeling a lot lighter at the sensation of the cool breeze.

He ended up doing more than one good deed. He saved two drunk boys from getting hit by a truck, stopped a motorcycle accident, and even placed a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest back in the tree. Feeling quite satisfied with himself, he sat down on the roof of a building.

God, he didn't want to go back home. He knew May would freak, probably more than she ever had before. Not to mention, he didn't even want to start thinking about what Tony would do. Letting out a groan, he fell back with a _thump_. "I'm so screwed."

"Is there something wrong, Peter?"

Peter sighed. "A bit, Karen. I'm nervous about getting chewed out by Mr. Stark and Aunt May."

"I would presume you would be," Karen responded.

Peter groaned before a thought hit him. "Karen, do you know if Mr. Stark is looking for me?" He knew that if he was, he would have to run. He sure as hell wasn't about to get caught by him!

"I'm afraid I'm not very sure. My apologies, Peter."

Peter made a despairing sound, but reluctantly murmured, "It's okay, Karen. Thanks anyway." He knew raging at Karen wouldn't help his situation at all.

"You're welcome, Mr. Parker. I'm sorry I can't be of more assistance."

Peter sighed and looked down at his hands. He'd just needed to escape for a while when Aunt May got so mad at him. It felt like another eternity before he mustered up the courage to stand up. "Hey, Karen?" he called softly, sucking in a nervous breath.

"Yes, Mr. Parker?" the AI responded, sounding confused.

Peter gulped. "Could you send Mr. Stark a message and tell him I'm, uh, gonna go home?" He asked, starting to slide down the mask he'd pulled off earlier.

"You can tell me yourself, kid," a voice announced as Iron Man appeared on the roof of the building he was sitting on.

Peter stepped away nervously, reflexively pulling off the mask again. "M-Mr. St-Stark! I… I…" The teen trailed off awkwardly as he tried to think of something to say.

Tony pressed something in his suit to release it so he was standing in front of the kid. He was really loving this nanotechnology he'd been developing for his suit lately. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't you be in bed? You've got to be up for school in three hours."

Peter tried not to squirm. "I… I was busy."

Tony cocked a brow at him. "I'm well aware. Tracker, remember?"

Peter huffed, annoyed all over again. "Jeez, Mr. Stark, I don't need a babysitter! I'm Spider-Man!"

"You're a spider who's asking for trouble, kid. Patrols at night, I get, but at 4 AM, on a school night? With a test tomorrow? Come on, Pete…" Tony chided in disbelief. Tony knew it was cheating to bring up the test but Ned had called and rambled in a panic about Peter going missing and having some calculus and history tests tomorrow and Tony figured this was the best way to get his attention.

And of course, it worked.

Peter looked up, eyes wide. He just shifted uncomfortably, opening his mouth and snapping it shut a few times. "How'd you know about that?" he finally settled for.

"Doesn't matter." Tony waved it off. "I'm just reminding you that keeping your school marks at an acceptable level is one of your rules. I'm sure you won't like the consequences if you end up breaking that rule." He raised an eyebrow.

Peter spluttered. "My marks are high!" he retorted indignantly, wrapping his arms around his waist defensively.

"I have no doubt that they are," Tony responded, "but they won't remain that way if you don't study and get a good night's sleep the day before."

"It's not my fault though!" Peter huffed. "If Aunt May hadn't been so overbearing when I came home, I'd be asleep right now, so—"

"I'm sorry; what did you just say?" Tony interrupted, eyebrows shooting up. "I'm going to pretend that you didn't just disrespect your aunt like that. Peter, she had every right to be upset with you!"

"I didn't even come home that late!" Peter argued. "And it was for a good reason! I was out with Ned and then I thought I'd patrol a little as Spiderman and I forgot about the time! It's not my fault she doesn't know that!"

"No, it's not her fault that she doesn't know you're a fifteen year old boy who puts his life in danger every time he does something, whether it's reckless or heroic," Tony said coldly, crossing his arms. "But it is _your_ fault that you lost track of time. Spiderman wasn't required to stay outside for what, three hours?"

"It wasn't even—"

Tony held up a hand to stop the teenager, just pursing his lips and shaking his head. "I'm not gonna argue with you about this anymore, kid. Your aunt is probably at home shaking with worry — not to mention, you've given Ned a proper scare as well. Get home, and we'll take care of the rest of this conversation tomorrow."

Peter let out a frustrated growl. "Stop treating me like a little kid!"

"You are a kid," Tony replied coolly. "Stop talking and get home; you're making things worse for yourself. Your backside won't thank you if you keep going on like this."

Peter huffed, hands clenched by his side for a full minute before he threw them up in frustration. "You're such a hypocrite! You did way worse things when you were my age!"

Tony nodded easily. "You're right, I did. And you know something? I'd have killed to have someone step in and say enough. Nobody gave a crap that I was out of control. You're mad that your Aunt is worried about you? My parents were too busy at fancy parties to care that I was out all night doing all sorts of shady things. Peter, you don't realise how lucky you are that people care about you."

Peter opened his mouth to argue but didn't have a comeback. He couldn't argue with that. Uncle Ben would have killed him for staying out all night. "Mr. Stark, I… I know she's just looking out for me but it's really hard sometimes. I don't want to worry her but she just doesn't get it. I'm fifteen, not five. I don't need constant supervision…"

Tony nodded in agreement. "No, you don't. You're right." Peter's face lit up hopefully before Tony continued. "But your Aunt spends half her life working at those diners to put food on the table and save up for your education. That's beside the point because _I_ am going to make sure that isn't a problem. But she deserves more respect from you than this."

Peter swallowed past the lump in his throat. "I… I do respect her," he protested meekly as the fight left him. He hung his head and looked down at the mask in his hands.

Tony sighed. "I don't doubt that, Peter. The truth is, though, that you've done a crappy job showing that tonight. We need to talk about this, and believe me, we _will_ , but right now you need to get home to bed. I mean straight to bed, no detours. Because if you do, I'll escort you home and your patrolling days will be over for the foreseeable future."

Peter looked up at him in disbelief, starting to frown. "Mr. Stark, you're overreacting… I—"

Tony bit back a groan. _Of course_ the kid was fighting with him again.

"No, Peter, I'm not. This was stupid and dangerous and totally irresponsible. I'm not arguing with you tonight. Tonight, you're going to go home, apologise, take whatever consequences May throws out, and go to school tomorrow. After school, I'll come by your apartment and we can talk. It's too late right now. You miss school or flunk those tests or anything similar because of this little misadventure, and we'll have another conversation about that when your grades come out. You understand?"

Peter let out a whine, torn between agreeing and protesting some more. "Can't I stay with Ned tonight and fix things with Aunt May tomorrow?" He pleaded balefully.

"Not unless you plan to give her a heartache. Besides, Ned has those tests tomorrow too," Tony reminded him. Now that he was looking more closely, the kid looked exhausted. His skin was paler than usual and he had deep, dark bags under his eyes. When had the boy last had a full night's sleep? he wondered with concern; it was like looking in a mirror at his own sometimes haggard face. He'd have to address that tomorrow too. "I'm starting to think I should take you home after all, Pete; I can't have May killing my trainee hero…"

Peter blushed and scratched at the back of his neck. "She won't kill me… well, she might! But she'll probably shout. And she'll ground me _forever_ … I really hate fighting with her, Mr. Stark, it makes me feel so crappy and mad and frustrated," the teen tried to explain, turning his best puppy dog eyes on Tony.

"I know, kid; it sucks, doesn't it?" Tony reached out and ruffled Peter's hair, smirking when the teenager ducked away. "And besides, you deserve a good grounding with how you've treated her today. Now, c'mon, go back home. It's late enough already; you're only going to have two or three hours of sleep and that's barely enough!"

"Okay, okay." Peter groaned, pulling on his mask. "You know, superheroes don't need sleep—"

"Go." Tony pointed, though there was a flash of amusement in his eyes.

"Fine. You're a mean old man." Peter swung off.

Tony let out a bark of laughter at the last comment before calling after the teenager, "No detours!"

Earlier than he wanted to, Peter found himself back in front of the house. Inhaling deeply and preparing himself, he entered. He was slightly dismayed to be greeted with silence; he had thought that May would be all over him, screeching in his ear and hugging and fussing over him. Taking in another deep breath, he called, "Aunt May!"

She appeared in a split second, looking extremely frazzled and exhausted. "Peter? Oh, Peter, thank the heavens!" She rushed forward, enveloping him in a tight hug. "I've been worrying so much about you! Honey, please don't ever do that again! I—"

"I'm sorry," Peter blurted out, feeling extremely guilty at how distressed she seemed. "I won't, I promise, I'm so sorry. I was just so mad and I said things I shouldn't have—"

"Damn well you did," she muttered into his ear, still suffocating him in a hug. She finally pulled away, looking stern now that she knew he was okay. "Where did you go, young man? And why were you home so late in the first place? I don't want any excuses or lies!"

Peter gulped under her scrutinizing gaze. "I was just … I just needed to get some air," he finally started slowly. _To lie or not to lie?_ he thought, biting his lip. "I was mad."

"Yes, I know that much." She crossed her arms, still visibly upset.

"I just had something to do with my internship!" Peter blurted out before he could stop himself. "Mr. Stark wanted me to do something before the end of the day, and I didn't have time to do it, so that's why I stayed late. 'M sorry, Aunt May, I know I should've called to let you know first."

May shook her head, seeming speechless. Finally, she settled for, "That man is goddamn overworking you. He knows you have school, and I get that it's an internship for _the_ Tony Stark, but he shouldn't be keeping you so late."

"It's not his fault!" Peter quickly said, hoping she wouldn't go to Tony and confront him about this. God knew how much more trouble he'd be in if that happened. "I was supposed to be done at 10 but I got distracted and I was slacking off so I came home super late — Mr. Stark even told me to go home but I stayed late! Please, Aunt May, it's not his fault."

She eyed him a bit suspiciously, causing Peter to hold his breath, but finally, she just gave a small nod, allowing him to relax.

Peter leaned in to hug her fiercely again. "I really am sorry I worried you so much."

All the tension seemed to leave May's shoulders and she returned the hug just as hard. "I'm sorry I shouted, honey. I've just been so worried about you. You seem to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders these days." She kissed his forehead and gave him a squeeze. "Alright it's very late. We could both do with some sleep. Straight to bed now, okay? And I don't wanna hear any trouble when I come in and wake you up."

Peter shook his head. "You got it. I won't complain at all," he assured her.

May cupped his face in her hands and smiled at him. "Good. Bed then…"

Peter obediently turned for his room, pausing in the doorway when she interrupted him. "Hey, Peter?"

"Yeah?" He asked curiously at her soft smile.

"Your grounding's lifted. But just this once. I'm proud of how hard you're working for this internship and I just know it's going to pay off. Uncle Ben would be sad not to be able to see the young man you're becoming."

Peter swallowed back tears. "Thanks, Aunt May. That means the world. Sleep tight," he replied softly before retiring to his room for the night. He got ready for bed and climbed under his covers, then proceeded to clock watch the rest of the night. He was exhausted but the guilt was eating away at him. The hours passed painfully slowly the didn't dare leave his room right now. He fell asleep an half an hour before his alarm went off and being woken was soul destroying. Still, he'd promised May he wouldn't complain about being woken up so he steeled himself and put on a brave face.

center***/center

Today had sucked; it hadn't just been a little sucky, it had been crap. He'd been late and almost gotten detention for his third late coming in two weeks. Then the test had been crap. Peter was smart and he was sure he'd aced his history but math? His teacher was sent from Hell. That paper had been utter BS and he was so damn tired he could barely remember his own name. His phone pinged with a text from Tony has he retrieved items from his locker before going home. It was Tony.

 _Hope you managed to get some sleep and didn't crash and burn today. Remember, straight home. I'll be there at 4. Don't keep me waiting, kid._

Peter swore, glowering at his screen. Did Mr. Stark seriously think he'd forgotten? He muttered to himself and typed out a reply, clearly a little overwhelmed by how tired and guilt he felt.

 _Sure, whatever, I'm going._

He shoved his phone in his pocket and trudged off towards the school bus to go home.

When Ned suggested that they go and hang out at his house, Peter was nearly swayed. But he knew that Tony would track him down sooner or later, and things would be much, much worse if he wasn't at home by 4. So, he reluctantly told his friend that he was busy, and headed home.

He stepped inside his house at exactly 3:38 PM. Since he had a few minutes to spare, he headed towards the kitchen to get a snack. He knew May was out working and she would only be back home late in the night, so this was his chance to eat some junk food and not have anyone chew him out for it.

Grabbing a bag of chips, he tossed his bag on the ground and plopped onto the couch, switching on the TV. Everything was good, and the relaxing atmosphere of the living room eased Peter's annoyance towards Tony. His eyes began to droop, heavy with exhaustion. He fought against the feeling at first, until he finally gave in, thinking, _I'll just close my eyes for a few minutes and let myself rest…_

He was woken up abruptly by a hand shaking his shoulder insistently. Yelping in surprise, he dropped the bag of chips, cursing when they scattered all over the floor. Great, now he had a mess to clean up. With a huff, he looked up and said, "Mr. Stark, you didn't have to wake me up that rudely." He had been feeling a little more relaxed earlier, but being woken up so suddenly when he was so tired had caused his irritation to spike massively.

Tony raised his eyebrow and said, "And you don't have to give so much attitude to me. This is what happens when you don't get enough sleep." Without invitation, Tony sat down next to Peter, deciding to allow Peter rolling his eyes to slip without rebuke. "So, you're here earlier than I expected you'd be, I'll give you that."

Peter didn't say anything, just reaching to raise the volume of the TV to make a point of blocking out Tony talking. His plan, however, was ruined when Tony snatched the remote from him and turned the TV off. "Hey," Peter complained.

Tony placed the remote on the table in front of him and turned to face him. He eyed him for a few seconds, making Peter shift uncomfortably, before he finally stated, "Wanna explain to me why you ran away last night after coming home at 2 AM and fighting with your aunt? Because that sure as hell doesn't sound like what a responsible person acts like."

"I'm responsible," Peter muttered sulkily, not meeting Tony's eyes.

"Really?" Tony raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. "It definitely didn't seem like it last night." Letting out a sigh, he asked, "How many hours of sleep did you get?"

Still irritated, Peter muttered, "A bit less than an hour." He shot a challenging look at Tony, saying, "You shouldn't be mad about that, though. Not my fault. Besides, you've gone for days without sleep."

"Not your fault," Tony echoed with a scoff. He shook his head. "And I'm not mad, kid. I was angry last night because you caused your aunt so much trouble by acting like a three year old throwing a tantrum, but now I'm just disappointed."

Peter froze, a little caught off guard. He remembered what had happened the last time Tony had told him he was disappointed, and it sure as hell had _not_ ended well for his backside!

Tony watched him silently for a moment, letting his words sink in. "Peter, remind me of the rules we set back in Berlin, would you?"

Peter's eyes widened more before he tried to hide it with a scowl. "Why? You already know them," he grumbled.

"Yes, but I'm not convinced _you_ do. Rules, now," Tony ordered more firmly.

Peter blushed at the warning in his tone and quickly stammered out an answer, finishing with, "And, uh, well… don't be a jerk to Aunt May…"

"Mm," Tony hummed in agreement. "And how many of those did you break last night?"

"I didn't—"

"Peter," Tony interrupted firmly. He'd really hoped the kid would be too tired to be this stubborn, but here they were.

"Okay, fine." Peter crossed his arms sulkily, pouting like a five year old, and grumbled, "Like two? I dunno."

"Sounds about right, although it would have been better to say it without the attitude." Tony rolled his eyes at the kid's brattiness. "Seriously, kid, you're pushing it lately."

"Not my fault you're an ass." Peter glowered at Tony. "It's literally not my fault that I fought with Aunt May. We were both mad. You're not exactly the role model when it comes to emotions, anyway."

Tony just stared at the kid, eyeing him appraisingly. "You're right," he finally said, and Peter's face lit up smugly with satisfaction. "It's not your fault that you got into an argument — although, I'm sure a respectful attitude towards your aunt would have been a fair solution to stopping it from continuing. And I know that I suck at emotions, kid, I don't need you to tell me. That's why I want you to be _better_ than me."

Peter gritted his teeth when he found that he had no response because technically, Tony was right. Finally, he just settled for childishly muttering, "You're still an ass."

"Not to mention, the rude name-calling will also be discussed amongst other things while you're over my lap," Tony announced casually.

Peter froze, then clenched his fists. "You're not gonna do that to me."

"Do what?" Tony questioned nonchalantly.

"Don't play dumb!" Peter huffed. "We both know what I'm talking about."

Tony raised an eyebrow at him. "You mean spanking you?"

Peter blushed furiously and huffed. "See? You're being an ass!"

Tony frowned, sitting up straighter and levelling the teen with a stern look. "Alright, enough. I'm serious, Peter. This attitude sucks and I've had enough of it. You want me to treat you like an adult? Maybe you should start acting like one."

Peter's mouth opened and closed and his face warmed up in embarrassment. "I… I… Mr. Stark!"

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Mr. Parker?"

Peter let out a frustrated sound. "You're overreacting!"

"About what exactly, kid?" Tony questioned. "The disrespecting your Aunt, taking off alone without a word and with no one having a clue where you were?"

Peter groaned. "Alright, alright, I'm _sorry._ It was dumb to disappear. Can't you get over it already?"

"What do you think, kid? We had a deal and you broke your end of it. Actions have consequences," Tony reminded the teen firmly. "And I made it very clear what the consequences of breaking those rules would be."

Peter couldn't help but squirm. "But… but… those stupid rules suck!"

Tony rolled his eyes. Eventually he gave a small, decisive nod. "Alright, sure. If you can give me two good reasons against me spanking you, then I'll reconsider. Go on."

Peter thought hard.

He thought really, really hard.

Finally, he said meekly, "Because I don't deserve a spanking and a different punishment is better?"

Tony raised an unamused eyebrow. "Oh? So you'd prefer if I took your suit away?" He snorted when Peter's eyes widened. "We both know your reasons are bullshit, kid. You're not getting out of this. And honestly, we've been arguing about this for way longer than necessary. If words can't help you understand the severity of your actions, then maybe my hand can." He sat up straighter and pulled Peter over his lap, just as easily as he'd done the first time.

"No! Mr. Stark!" Peter began struggling immediately as Tony got ready to start the spanking. "This is so unnecessary! I don't need a spanking!" Peter shouted, squirming.

"Your actions have proven that you really do need this spanking, Mr. Parker," Tony replied, bringing his hand down and landing the first spank. "I don't think I've ever seen you acting so recklessly before — although I'm sure this won't be the first time, with how often you get into trouble."

"You're such a mean old man," Peter complained, wincing at the feeling of the spanks Tony was raining down on his backside.

"Yes, you've mentioned," Tony responded dryly. "I am such a mean, nasty person, aren't I? I care way too much about you, right? Since I punish you for misbehaving or putting yourself in danger?" Tony spanked continuously while he spoke, punctuating his words with hard swats. "Well, Mr. Parker, I'm sorry to let you know that telling me that I'm an ass won't make anything change."

Peter yelped and whined, trying to squirm away. He shook his head wildly. "Ah! Okay, oww! Umm… sorry I called you an ass! That was kinda mean of me…"

"Mean and rude," Tony agreed, continuing to spank. "Were you that rude to Aunt May last night?"

"What? No! Of course not!" Peter insisted in horror. How could Mr. Stark even ask him that? He huffed and seriously considered kicking the older man in retaliation.

"Don't even think about it, Peter, or I'll make this seem like a walk in the park," Tony warned calmly.

Peter huffed in frustration and muttered something rude under his breath.

Tony heard him and shook his head in disbelief before moving his focus down to Peter's sit spots and the tips of his thighs sharply. "I suggest you settle down, Mr. Parker, we're nowhere close to being finished here."

Peter yelped and renewed his efforts to kick his way free until Tony paused, debating the best course of action. Where was the kid's energy coming from? He sighed softly and shifted the teenager onto his left thigh before using his right to pin Peter's legs.

"Hey! Mr. Stark, no!" Peter protested loudly. He hated being held down.

"I already warned you to settle down, Peter. And believe me, you'd prefer this to me spanking you over your boxers so I suggest you settle down. Have a think about what earned you a trip over my knee and how you'll avoid it in the future."

Peter whined and squirmed but did settle for a while. His backside and upper thighs were burning and he was starting to feel incredibly sorry. He sniffed, stubbornly fighting back tears. He was so tired that he felt more overwhelmed than normal being told off, but he didn't want to look more of a little kid than he already had.

"And once you've had a good, long think about that, let me know and we'll try our previous conversation again."

Peter gripped the cushion on the couch, whimpering as the spanks rained down unrelentingly. This really sucked! Mr. Stark had a mean swing and the fact that he wasn't letting up really wasn't helping. "Owww," he finally whimpered, unable to hold back his complaints. "Mr. Stark, please!"

"Yeah, kid?" Tony responded indifferently. "You have something to say?"

Peter whimpered, squirming. "Stop!" he wailed. "It h-hurts! Not m-my fault!"

"It better damn well hurt," Tony told him. "And not your fault? It's not your fault that your aunt was horribly worried and anxious yesterday? Not your fault that you didn't act responsibly enough and came home past 2 in the morning? Not your fault that you're in this position right now?" Tony shook his head. "You've earned this spanking, kid, so don't try to tell me otherwise."

Peter growled, annoyed at the fact that Tony wasn't listening to him. It was _not_ his damn fault that his aunt had overreacted! Okay, maybe just a little, but he was not about to admit that! Burying his head in his arms, he wailed, "You're a big — OWWW!"

Tony interrupted his sentence with a particularly hard smack that he'd landed by pulling his arm past his shoulder before bringing it down. "Mr. Parker, I believe we've discussed name-calling already — or do we need to go over that again? Because it certainly seems like we do."

Peter felt tears prickling at his eyes, because goddammit, this spanking really hurt. It was probably worse because he knew what to expect from it now.

"Well? I'm waiting for an answer."

Peter let out a dry sob, swallowing it back in an effort not to cry, though he knew that would eventually be inevitable. "W-What?"

"Name-calling," Tony clarified patiently, obviously acknowledging the fact that the burning fire in Peter's backside was causing the teenager's mind to not work as fast as it usually would. "Do we need to go over that again?"

"N-No!" Peter choked out, turning his head to the side to breathe shakily. "No, I p-promise. We don't."

Tony stopped spanking, and Peter inhaled shakily, shuddering. The man placed a hand on his backside firmly, causing Peter to wince. Any touch, no matter how hard or gentle, on his stinging backside caused pain. "I'm going to hold you to that promise, then," Tony informed him sternly. "But rest assured, Peter, if I even hear anything close to an insult, we'll be having a very thorough discussion about it. Understood?"

"Y-Yes," Peter cried, eyes filled with unshed tears. "S-Sorry — OWWW, I said I was sorryyyyyy!"

"I know you did," Tony replied, having begun to spank again. "But our discussion is far from over, young man. We still have lots to cover."

Peter whimpered and shook his head shakily. "P-please, Mr. St-Stark… too hard!

Tony rolled his eyes above Peter. "You deserve every swat," he scolded, although he did lighten up some. "Settle down. Are you ready to have a civilized conversation, Mr. Parker?"

"Mmhmm…" Peter agreed, squirming against Tony's hold.

Tony gave a brusque nod, waiting a moment before continuing. "Alright, let's try again. Why are you over my knee, kid?"

"Be-because I broke rules…" Peter admitted miserably.

"Yup. Which ones?" Tony prompted, swatting the tips of his thighs to encourage compliance.

"Owwww!" Peter howled. "I put myself in danger a-and… Hurt Aunt May and made her worry… and I stayed out all n-night and disappeared…" A few stray tears spilled over.

"Better. Peter, I have already told you that you aren't expendable. That hasn't changed. That _will not_ change, no matter what situation arises. I took you on as my little intern and I'm not going to let you get yourself killed on my watch. Going on patrol is one thing but going AWOL? That's totally unacceptable. You might be a hero, but you are also a fifteen year old boy who has responsibilities outside of swinging webs," Tony lectured, tipping Peter forward enough to make his sit spots more easily accessible, then starting to spank the tender area soundly while he spoke. "I don't think I'm asking too much by giving you rules so frankly, I don't see why you should break them and not face consequences. They are there to keep you safe and protect your wellbeing and emotional health too. Do you understand that?"

Peter gave a jerk nod of his head, starting to cry silently into the worn couch.

Tony nodded. "Good. So are we clear about what is going to happen every time you disobey the rules? This. And when you want to have childish tantrums? This happens. It's quite simple. You say that I can't do this, but the truth is that I am your boss and mentor and I won't stand for you disregarding the standards and expectations I've set you. You want to become an Avenger when I feel you're older and more mature to face those dangers and responsibilities? Then you behave yourself and show me how mature you can be."

"Got it! Oww! P-please, Mr. Stark! I swear, I'll b-be g-g-good…" the teen promised. He'd promise anything right now if it meant the spanking stopped.

"I'll hold you to that," Tony acknowledged. "And Peter?"

"Y-yeah?" Peter stammered out.

"If your grades have suffered as a result of this little escapade, I am going to be seriously unimpressed. So unimpressed, in fact, that you'll be a very lucky spider if you don't find yourself right back here. Are we clear?"

"Y-Yes!" Peter nodded his head furiously.

"We're almost done," Tony told him, knowing that the teenager's backside had to be bright red now.

"A-Almost?" Peter wailed. "T-Thought we were done n-nowwww!"

"Almost," Tony confirmed. "There's just one last thing — I want you to tell me everything you've learned from this spanking, and how your actions were wrong, inappropriate, and rude. Go."

Peter let out a small sob and began to shakily speak. "L-Learned that … I shouldn't put m-myself in danger … 'cause you care 'bout me … don't do anything s-stupid or dangerous … don't be mean to A-Aunt May … gotta apologize to her a-again …" He sniffled miserably at the thought, but he knew she deserved more than one apology from him. "No calling you or a-anyone mean names …" He hiccoughed, face wet with tears.

"Go on," Tony prompted, though not unkindly.

"A-And … this was all b-bad 'cause … 's not mature or r-r-responsible … and it's m-mean."

"Sounds about right," Tony remarked, knowing that the kid couldn't take much more. "You ready to be let back up now?" When he received a nod for a reply, Tony almost let Peter up before an idea popped into his head. He patted Peter's back and said, "I want you to go stand in that corner over there, kid."

"C-Corner?" Peter seemed confused for a moment before he understood what Tony was getting at. His face flushed bright red in embarrassment and Tony thought the kid was seriously gonna argue with him about this, but thankfully he didn't.

 _Huh,_ Tony thought, _seems like the spanking worked._ The kid wasn't being bratty anymore, at least. "Yeah, kid," he said. "You're gonna go to the corner and stand there until I say you can come out, alright?"

Peter nodded quickly, and Tony released his grip on him. Peter scrambled to his feet clumsily, still crying. "S-Sorryyy, Mr. S-Stark."

"Hey, it's okay, kid." Tony reached out and hesitated before ruffling his hair. "Go on. You know what to do." He watched the teenager stumble over to the corner he had indicated and sat back down on the couch with a sigh. The kid looked absolutely miserable, he thought. Peter currently had his arms wrapped around his body, hugging himself and sniffling.

Tony felt a grade A asshole. Even as he'd had the idea, he'd decided not to make it a prolonged length of time, although he suspected it wouldn't feel that way to Peter. He kept one eye on his watch and the other on the kid. He noticed when Peter's shoulders dropped and he sniffled loudly, and decided enough was enough. "Alright, Peter. Come here please."

Peter whimpered softly but obediently turned from the corner and made his way over shakily.

"You learned your lesson?" Tony questioned softly when he caught the teen's eye.

Peter nodded earnestly, wiping a sleeve over his damp, puffy eyes. "Yes Sir, M-Mr. S-Stark…" he promised.

"I'm glad. I don't like being tough on you any more than you like me being tough on you, kid." The older man sighed and stood. "C'mere." He pulled Peter into a hug, trying to ignore his own awkwardness for the sake of his protege.

Peter tensed for a moment before throwing his arms around Tony and holding on tight. "I'm sorry!"

"Shh, I know. I know you're sorry. That one really sucked but it's over now. I got you," Tony assured him. He was surprised to find this felt less ridiculous and awful than he'd expected it to.

Peter nodded against his collarbone and Tony couldn't help but smile. "Alright, buddy. It's okay, _we're okay_. You need to apologise to your Aunt later, but as far as I'm concerned, we're done and you get a clean slate. Sound good?"

Peter gave another heartfelt nod. Aunt May hugged him a lot and in her own special way, but he hadn't felt safe like this in a hug since his Uncle Ben died. He sniffed sadly. "That h-hurt…" he accused softly, peeking up at Tony with his best puppy dog eyes before hiding against his shoulder again. Tony just didn't have the heart to pull away when the teenager was so damn forlorn now that they'd finished their discussion.

"Yeah, I know, I bet it did." Tony placed a hand on the back of Peter's head, trying to comfort the kid as best as he could.

"You're m-mean." Peter stuck his tongue out. Then, his eyes widened. "No, wait, that wasn't name-calling! It was meant to be j-just teasing! I swear, Mr. Stark!"

Tony laughed and said, "I believe you, kid. Though, I'm glad the lesson's sticking."

"Definitely sticking thanks to your hand," Peter muttered, still hugging Tony tightly.

Tony found this whole comfort thing a lot less awkward than the first time he'd had to do this. It felt more like a choice this time, rather than an obligation. He wasn't going to deny that he felt like he sucked at it, though. When Peter finally pulled away, he eyed the kid for a few seconds, making sure he was really alright, before asking, "How long till your aunt comes back home from work, kid?"

"Uhh, I dunno the exact time," Peter replied with a frown, "but she almost always comes back later in the night. I still have a few hours until she returns."

"Great. How does some ice cream sound, then?" Tony suggested, knowing that Peter needed something to help distract him from the ache in his backside. Plus, it wasn't like Tony had anything too urgent to do at the moment anyway. Considering he had just tanned the kid's ass, the least he could do was stay with him.

Peter brightened immediately. "Yes, please!" he shouted, and shot off towards the kitchen.

"Don't bring too much, or you'll get a stomach ache!" Tony called after him.

"I won't!" Peter called back.

He returned with the entire tub of ice cream, along with two spoons, causing Tony to raise an eyebrow, but he remained silent, deciding to let the kid have some fun. And, well, even if they finished the whole thing, it wasn't like anyone would know.

Switching on the TV, he dug in, wondering how the kid had got him wrapped around his little finger so quickly.


	4. Liar, Liar, Ass on Fire

**Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry about the delay updating; I've been down at my Gran's without wifi as she's unwell so I've not had a chance to post (so am behind Teddy over at AO3). I'm still trying to figure out responding to reviews... Could someone please tell me how I reply? *facepalm* Anyway, enjoy :)**

Peter's eyes widened as his Math teacher handed him his marked test paper. _Oh man._ He was so dead. "See me" was written in red pen, making him almost groan in dread.

When the bell for class rang, he hung back with his paper and went to speak to him. By the time he left the classroom, he had a slip to be signed by his Aunt and returned to school.

He made it through most of his classes without any more disappointment, but his History teacher also gave them their tests back and he was shocked to see he'd totally failed that one too. When he left with another slip to sign and return, he knew he was dead.

"Hi, honey," May called when he got home that afternoon. "How was your day?"

"It was alright, pretty boring. I'm gonna get my homework done now so I can see Ned later, is that cool?" Peter answered, glancing at her as he poured himself a glass of chocolate milk and shoved the carton back in the fridge.

May nodded from her spot at the table, smiling up at him. "Sure thing, Peter. Let me know if you need anything. Dinner'll be ready in about an hour."

Peter nodded and made his way to his room to do his work, leaving the notes from his teachers at the bottom of his bag to make sure Aunt May didn't notice them.

Before he went out, whilst May was in the shower, Peter pulled out the slips before going to her purse and taking out her driver's license to look at her signature. He memorised it quickly then shoved her purse back in her bag before scampering back to his room and quickly forging signatures on both slips. Guilt tingled in his gut but by then it was too late. He returned them to the bottom of his backpack and settled on the couch to watch TV until his Aunt was done and he could say bye before Ned came over.

center***/center

Peter was about to do something he had never done before. Well, actually, he was about to do two things that he had never done before — not that that was much better.

First, he was going to not hand in his assignment for English class, which was to write a five paragraph persuasive essay. Second, he was also ditching class.

He had heard that recently, two guys were going around house to house stealing people's valuables, and they had even escaped the police last night. In his opinion, if the police couldn't capture them, only Spider-Man could. He was skipping class for a good reason. Besides, even if the school called his aunt, he could always lie and say that they had had a substitute teacher and that he'd made a mistake. Substitutes always screwed up the attendance, anyway.

So, after looking around and making sure that no one else was around to witness this, he jumped up easily on to the roof of the school and pulled on his suit, once again marvelling at how nice the suit Mr. Stark had given to him was. He had to admit, compared to what he had been wearing before, this was more than just a "minor upgrade." Then, he swung off.

He knew that Mr. Stark could know his location if he wanted to; the tracker was still in his suit. But, Mr. Stark was a busy man. It wasn't like he'd be constantly checking his location anyway, right? Peter winced at the thought of getting a spanking for ditching school — Mr. Stark wouldn't do that, would he? He had never mentioned anything about skipping school — just his grades.

He pushed the thought of his abandoned essay aside and set off through town looking for the robbers. He assisted a kid whose bike had been stolen and stopped a dog from being knocked over after it dashed away from its owner on the way to the park.

After an hour, he still hadn't found the thieves and was starting to wonder if his information had been wrong. Just as he was getting ready to call it quits, he spotted two people acting shifty. He couldn't help the satisfied smirk that appeared on his face. "There you are, finally…"

He swung down across the street, waiting until he caught them in the act before webbing them to the garage in the front yard of the house they were just leaving. "Hey, hasn't anyone told you it's not nice to steal?" he chided, letting out a whoop as he surveyed his achievements. "You should probably give that back. Get comfy, you could be here awhile."

He called the cops to tell them where the thieves were, then shot his webs and set off for home before remembering it was too early to get home from school. Maybe he could sneak back in for his last two periods of the day and pretend he'd had an appointment before lunch.

center***/center

May was just taking her break when her cell went. She pulled out the pocket in her apron and checked the called ID, surprised to see it was Peter's school. She answered nervously and listened to the Principal explain that they were concerned about Peter whose grades seemed to have suddenly dropped across a number of classes and that now he'd started skipping school.

By the time she hung up, she was livid. It was that damn internship he'd started. Only last week, he'd come home at 2 AM because of the internship and tasks he expected to be done. She was not about to let some stuck up, arrogant billionaire ruin her nephew's future.

She punched in the number Peter had given her as an emergency number for Stark and held the phone to her ear as she impatiently waited for the man her son hero-worshipped to answer.

The phone rang several times before someone picked up. "Stark," a voice said in an emotionless tone.

"I know who you are," May hissed. "Mr. Stark, I don't know what it is with you, but my nephew is only fifteen! Do you understand that? Who do you think you are to overwork my nephew so much that he repeatedly comes home past midnight and cause his grades to drop?"

"What?" the voice on the other side spluttered. "May?"

"That's right; who else would it be?" May scoffed. "You need to get the stick out of your ass and seriously reconsider the workload you're giving to Peter, do you understand me? Just because you're a billionaire who has everyone practically do everything for you doesn't mean that my nephew is allowed to be overworked! It's a goddamned internship, not a—"

"I'm sorry, I'm gonna stop you right there." There was a short silence, and a sigh before Tony spoke. "Did you just say that I've been overworking your nephew?"

"That's right." May pursed her lips, tapping her fingers impatiently.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding here. Your nephew is certainly not overworked — he has shifts that are fair and appropriate for his age. He leaves to return home at an appropriate time. I don't recall there was ever a time I let him out at night. And did you say his _grades_ were dropping?"

"Don't you dare lie to me, Tony Stark," May said, crossing her arms. "Not even a single white lie. Not when it concerns my nephew and his well-being."

"Regardless of what you've obviously seen on the internet, you'll find that I do actually care for others," Tony's voice responded, slightly cold. "There have been too many misunderstandings here."

May was silent for a moment before saying, "His school called me to let me know that he skipped his classes. While I have to admit that I can't see how that relates to this whole internship, the grades are another—"

"I assure you, May — no, I swear to you — that Peter's internship should most definitely not be affecting how he is doing in school." Tony's voice was firm. "But I do understand how you feel about this entire thing. Before beginning his internship, Peter assured me that he wouldn't allow his grades to be affected by it."

May sighed, massaging her temples, trying to think of what to say next.

Obviously taking her silence as a bad sign, Tony continued speaking. "I am as displeased with Mr. Parker as you are. I'll make sure to talk to him about skipping school and his grades the next time he comes along for his internship. I can assure you that he won't be doing it again."

May was silent for a few moments before speaking slowly, "You're telling me that Peter's not been at his internship today?"

"No, Ma'am. Peter isn't due in until 4 today." Tony paused. "Ms. Parker, I understand that you don't know me and you loathe to trust me with your nephew. I don't blame you. You've both been through a lot in the past year, and I am in awe of you both. The truth is I really respect Peter and I see a wealth of potential in that boy. And I promise, I'm not going to let Peter throw away that potential. I'd really appreciate it if you could let me handle this, Ms. Parker."

May sighed heavily. Eventually, she nodded. "Okay, Mr. Stark. But I'm serious, if his school record doesn't improve _fast_ then I'm coming for blood. Peter is my world and I will be damned if I let him screw up is life trying to please you."

Tony bit back a chuckle. "I don't blame you. That kid deserves someone to be fighting for him. I promise you, I plan to fight for him too. He has a bright future ahead of him. He may be an hour early today; I plan to have a detailed conversation with him about this personally and I'm going to make it clear that he needs to start making more of a priority of his schoolwork. I'll make sure he's home by eight, Ms. Parker. You have my word."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark," May replied softly, obviously meaning it wholeheartedly. She was already balancing two jobs to make ends meet, she had no idea how to get her nephew back on track too. "I'm still a little confused though… you said you let him go at a decent time, but he arrived home 3 hours after his curfew the other week, at 2 AM. Two in the morning, and at that age!"

An intake of breath was Tony's only clear sign of shock. "He told you that he was at the internship until 2 AM? I can personally assure you that isn't true. The only employees I let stay at work overnight are the night shift guards. It seems Mr. Parker's gotten a little carried away lately. I'll discuss this with him at length, Ms. Parker. I'm incredibly sorry for all this confusion."

"Oh, Peter…" May sighed. "Thank you, Mr. Stark, really. Peter's been lacking any kind of male role model in his life since his Uncle… Well, anyway, he seems to really look up to you. I appreciate you keeping an eye on him."

They talked a few minutes longer, and then said their goodbyes and hung up so she could grab lunch before returning to work.

Tony came off the phone with a sigh and a stream of muttered curses. He was going to kill that kid. "Friday? Bring up Mr. Parker's tracker please." He requested, glad he was alone in his office.

He was totally confused when he saw where Peter was. "What are you up to, kid?" he murmured as he looked at the surrounding area and tried to problem solve the situation. Eventually, he sighed. "Thanks, Friday. Let me know when Mr. Parker's on his way, would you? I need to speak to him personally about his school situation and I don't want him to skip his internship later."

center***/center

Peter was sitting on the roof of a building, swinging his legs and taking a bite into his turkey sandwich. He had considered going back to school for his last two periods, but he figured that if he'd ditched the majority of the day, there was no point in going anyway. He didn't want to risk being seen by any of the teachers who taught his earlier periods either. It was really just a day — how much could he miss?

At 3 o'clock, he received a text. Unlocking his phone, he opened the message. It was from Tony, which caused him to smile. Maybe Mr. Stark needed him for something important.

 _Kid, I want you to meet me at the Avengers Tower at exactly 3:30 today, if not earlier, which means I'm giving you at least thirty minutes. I'm sure that'll be enough, since you're obviously Spiderman right now and not in school like you should be._

Peter stared at the text for a good five minutes, then cursed and began to shove his half-eaten sandwich into his bag when he realized he had only twenty five more minutes to get to the _freaking Avengers Tower._ What the actual hell?

He swung off, a mixture of fear and excitement — but mostly excitement. He knew that Mr. Stark had obviously found out about him ditching school, as he'd seen his location, but he probably wouldn't be too upset about it. Surely, he had to understand that saving lives was far more important than Math or English!

Peter had never thought this day would come when he would get to actually step foot into the very Avengers Tower that he often dreamed of. Skipping school was definitely a good idea! He was pretty sure that if he hadn't, Mr. Stark wouldn't have contacted him to come over.

He arrived ten minutes early, at 3:20, which just proved how excited he was. He stood and stared for a few minutes at the tower in its full glory, then swung his backpack properly over his shoulders. Should he enter? What the hell was he supposed to do?

Thankfully, that problem was solved when Tony stepped through the doors. Peter practically felt his face brighten at the sight of the man. "Hey, Mr. Stark!" He grinned. "This is so awesome! I can't believe I'm gonna go into the Avengers Tower — how cool is that?"

"Not cool enough, I'm afraid," Tony responded, crossing his arms, "if you're here to be punished."

Peter furrowed his brows. "What?"

"You, Mr. Parker," Tony said, stepping forward and placing a firm hand on his shoulder and steering him through the doors, "are here to be punished. Do I need to repeat myself again?"

"Why the hell would I—"

"Don't try to deny it, kid." Tony stopped dead, whirling Peter around to face him. "You think it's cool to ditch school like that? You think it's great to leave your Aunt so furious and worried that she called me — _me,_ of all people, to complain that your internship is causing your school marks to drop?"

Peter's jaw dropped, momentarily forgetting the fact that he was in the Avengers Tower. "She — what?"

"Oh, yes, that's right." Tony positively glowered at him. "Needless to say, your school called your aunt, which obviously caused her to jump to the conclusion that it was my fault pushing you with so much work." His tone was sarcastic, causing Peter to wince. "But we both know that's not true. So, tell me, Mr. Parker. Do you have a legitimate reason for skipping school today and the drop in your grades?" He began walking again, dragging Peter along.

Looking around frantically at his surroundings, since he didn't know if he'd ever return to the tower another day, he tried to come up with a good excuse. "Uh, well, I — c'mon, Mr. Stark! Saving lives is more important than stupid grades!"

"So you've been patrolling too much, then?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "You shouldn't even be out during school hours!"

"It … there was an emergency today!" Peter defended, knowing that he was perhaps exaggerating it a bit. "There were these two guys — who I took down, by the way — causing hell for people! I can't just be reading a freakin' textbook in class when stuff like that is happening!"

"You're fifteen, of course you should be reading a textbook when the world is acting like hell!" Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. "That's not a good reason and we both know it."

"Okay, fine, it's not, but… you can't spank me!" Peter tried, grimacing at the thought. Seriously, his first day in the Avengers Tower should not be going like this!

"Oh? I can't?" Tony raised an eyebrow because goddammit, the audacity of this kid!

"Yeah, you can't! I know that I ditched school today and I won't do it again if it upsets you so much, and I get that I didn't hand in my essay today — ugh, teachers are so _dumb_ tattling on _everything!_ — and that the school told Aunt May what I did to the tests who obviously told you, but you… you can't!" Peter blurted out. Flushing at how much that didn't make sense, he mumbled, "It hurts."

"You… the tests?" Tony frowned, remembering that a while ago, the kid had slept barely an hour before going to school to do two tests. He wondered how those had ended up.

"Yeah, I get that I shouldn't have done it, Mr. Stark, but I couldn't help it!" Peter cried defensively. "I freaked out!"

"You get how wrong it was for you to do that, kid?" Tony questioned, making sure that he sounded stern. He knew that if he straightforwardly asked, the kid probably wouldn't tell him.

"I know, I know! I know that forging signatures is illegal, Mr. Stark, I really do, but both you _and_ Aunt May would've been pissed if I showed you those tests!" Peter lowered his eyes miserably.

"Oh, Peter Parker, you've just dug your own grave by telling me that," Tony growled, dragging the kid into the elevator. "Skipping school, being careless about your grades, forging signatures, and lying to your aunt about me keeping you working past midnight? Seriously, kid?"

"H-How'd you know about that?" Peter's jaw dropped for the second time.

"Does it matter?" Tony responded mildly, rolling his eyes. "What matters is that somehow, Mr. Parker, you've landed yourself a good spanking again."

Peter looked at him with wide, nervous eyes. "B-but Mr. Stark! This is the freakin' _Avengers Tower!"_ He protested, trying to step away despite the lack of space to run to in the elevator.

"Yes, it is. I'd planned to bring you here for something cool the first time you saw it, but you can wave goodbye to that idea right now. We got a lot to talk about, kid," Tony told him unsympathetically. "Before you get a grand tour or anything else, you're in for a spanking you won't forget in a hurry."

Peter's mouth opened and closed like a fish before he eventually pouted up at Tony. "Aww, c'mon, Mr. Stark. _Please_ let me see the Tower first…"

" _No_ ," Tony repeated, making sure to enunciate it clearly. "I am not going to reward you for cutting school, ignoring your grades and _lying_ by letting you explore. You behave yourself while we talk and maybe, _maybe_ I'll let you explore. I can't believe we even need to talk about lying, kid."

The disappointment was obvious in Tony's voice and Peter squirmed instinctively. He opened his mouth to apologise but his mentor held up a hand to stop him. "Not yet. You're going to dig yourself in further if you keep talking. Not a word until we get to my private office space."

Peter frowned but didn't dare argue with that tone. He didn't want to be spanked right here. Surely Mr. Stark wouldn't do that here… would he? Peter gulped at the thought. He'd die from embarrassment if Mr. Stark did anything like that!

The ride up to Tony's work floor was silent, both males lost in their thoughts. Finally, the elevator pinged and the door opened. Tony pressed the button to keep the door open and beckoned for Peter to lead the way.

Peter flushed but obeyed, stepping out into what looked like a neat office space with dread. He looked around it in awe at the clean, crisp walls in a soft beige and stared at the plants and fancy artwork adorning the walls. "Pepper likes all that stuff," Tony explained with a smirk. "And since I made her official CEO, I figured I'd let her spruce the whole building up. Well, not my lab. I don't let her touch that. Straight on, Mr. Parker. We'll be using the third door on the right. Lead the way."

Tony had considered using his office which was plush and large enough for him to carry out the consequences he'd considered before texting young Mr. Parker, but it also has glass doors and windows almost everywhere. He'd told Friday to make sure _nobody_ interrupted them unless it was an alien invasion and thus, life and death, but Stark Industries, and the Avengers Tower, employed a lot of staff and mistakes could happen. He wanted to teach the kid a lesson, not humiliate him.

Peter led the way nervously, dragging his feet on the plush carpet and desperately looking around for an escape route or inspiration for a good excuse for his behaviour. Neither was forthcoming, much to his distress. He decided to try and mitigate the damage he'd done one last time. "Mr. Stark, I—"

"Pretty sure I said not a sound until we get to our destination, buddy." Tony interrupted firmly. They both needed time to collect themselves or this was going to go from bad to worse before he could blink.

On the upside, Peter quieted down. In the downside, by the time Tony followed him through the door he'd directed him to and closed it behind him, he had one wound up spider on his hands. He imagined this was anxious guilt speaking but he had no intention of giving the kid an inch. The whole reason he was punishing him was because the teen had been given an inch yet had taken a mile. Tony felt a headache coming on.

He'd brought Peter into a lounge type space, with a handful of kitchen counters along one wall coupled with a microwave, fridge, kettle and coffee machine. At the other side of the room, just off the centre were plush, deep couches, and a 60" TV screen was mounted on the wall facing the couches. A few feet from the kitchen space, a table sat with 4 chairs, offering a spot to eat. The room had been a place for the Avengers to unwind and relax before or after missions, offering a more comfortable place to debrief than some others. Through a door to the right of the TV was a smaller office space that Steve had occasionally used when reading over missions one last time ahead of their briefings. A twinge of regret filled Tony's heart at the memory of his old team but he shook away the feeling.

He forced himself to focus on the present and his reason for being here, folding his arms and levelling Peter with a stern look. "Alright, get it out your system," he told the teen with a hint of resignation. He wouldn't let this go to far, but he would let the teen talk, otherwise they wouldn't get anywhere. The sooner Peter had dispelled some of his nervous energy, the sooner Tony could kick his ass spectacularly and things could return to a happy normal between them.

Peter didn't need to be told twice. "You're being… ridiculous! I get that I messed up and yeah, forgery is bad, but _come on_! It was for a good cause. The people of New York _need_ Spider-Man."

Tony nodded. "You're right, kid. They do. But they need Spider-Man to survive to adulthood and be around for a long time to come. I'm not sure who wants to kill you more right now, me or May. You are still a kid, like it or not, and you should _not_ be cutting class to go on patrol! Not to mention, lying about those tests and forging signatures, lying to May and my face for weeks is doing exactly what you're supposed to stand against. Peter, you go around on patrol doing good, but that is all moot if you leave your morals in that damn suit and do whatever the hell you feel like whenever you want."

Peter's hands were clenched into fists and he was breathing hard by the time Tony finished, obviously full of a confusing mix of teenage emotions. "You're one to talk! At least when I ignore rules it's to help people," he accused in frustration.

Tony's expression turned dangerously calm. "Excuse me, pal? You want to say that again?"

Peter swallowed nervously, trying to backpedal. "I-I… Mr. Stark, I didn't mean… I was just saying…"

"Oh, I know exactly what you said. Today isn't a good day for one Peter Parker because I can see you really need your attitude adjusted. Here's the deal, you are going to sit your ass down at that table and write me an essay. I don't care how long it takes, you're not being spanked until it's finished and you're not going home until you've been spanked and I've personally seen that your homework is completed to a suitable standard. If it isn't, I'll spank you again. The failed tests were bad enough but the forgery and repeated lies? That's serious. That needs to stop and it needs to stop now, because if I don't think I can trust you then I will not be sending you out as Spider-Man. Table, now," Tony all but growled, pointing over at the table.

"What? No! You can't do that!" Peter protested in shock.

"Actually, I can. You are out of control, Mr. Parker. You don't even realise how damn worried your Aunt is about you and someone clearly needs to step in before you go off the edge. Nobody did that for me, but I am damn sure going to make sure someone does it for you. You're going to see the not so "cool" side to Tony Stark, and I doubt you'll like it, but one day you'll appreciate it. You are not throwing your life away in some teenage dream to save the world. Now get your ass to that table now while I get you paper and tell you exactly what I expect from this essay. If you'd prefer you can wait in the corner while I get things ready…" Tony supplied helpfully when Peter stood glaring at him.

Angrily deciding that sitting at a table was better than standing in a corner like a five year old, he pulled the chair out, still glowering at Tony.

Tony got a stack of paper out and placed it in front of Peter, ignoring the teenager's glare. He placed a pen in front of him, raising an eyebrow when Peter made no move to pick it up.

Knowing that he would have to be the first to start this off, Tony said, "So, Mr. Parker, are you going to act like a five year old child throwing a tantrum throughout the entire time you write?" When he got no reply, Tony picked up the pen himself and wrote at the top of the page, 'Why I Should Not Skip Class, Let My Grades Drop, or Lie Multiple Times.'

"Seriously?" Peter snorted at the title.

"I think it sums up the context of your essay," Tony responded, placing the pen back down. "Let me remind you, kid, the longer you take to finish this essay, the longer you'll be here. You've still got a spanking coming too." Tony looked at his watch and said, "I'm sure an hour and a half will be enough for you to finish, yes?"

"More than enough," Peter growled, snatching up the pen.

"Good." Tony pulled out his phone and sat down comfortably on his couch. He was pleased to see that he kid was actually writing — or at least, he seriously hoped he was.

Peter managed to take the essay seriously for the first two minutes until an idea came to him. Two could play at this game. Smirking, he started to write diligently, soon writing screeds down. And if what he'd written was a little disrespectful and sarcastic, could Tony _really_ blame him?

Tony kept an eye on the kid, surprised by his apparent change of heart. Peter was facing away from him so the older man couldn't see how smug the teen was, and he foolishly assumed Peter had actually _had_ a change of heart.

Peter finished in record time and sat back with a loud sigh of satisfaction. "Done, Mr. Stark," he called innocently, offering Tony a wide eyed smile. "I should do my homework, I guess, while you read? It might take you a while."

Tony scrutinised him for a long moment before shaking his head easily. "No, that's okay, kid. You can just head into the corner while I read."

"What?!" Peter spluttered incredulously.

"Well, you see, Mr. Parker, I seem to remember I said you wouldn't be spanked until after the essay, and since I said your homework wasn't until after that, I guess you'll have to wait." Tony walked over and picked up the essay, offering him a raised eyebrow as he said pleasantly, "And I hope for your sake you took this seriously, or you'll be feeling pretty miserable while you redo it. Go on, find a corner."

Peter rolled his eyes in annoyance, but really he was starting to feel a little worried. In hindsight, maybe a sarcastic essay with a handful of barbed comments interspersed through it hadn't been his best idea. "Mr. Stark, I—"

"Corner, young man." Tony pointed towards a vacant corner and raised his eyebrows meaningfully. For some reason, he had a sneaking suspicion he wasn't going to like this essay one bit.

Peter slowly headed towards the corner, half annoyed and half anxious. He was almost there at the corner when Tony called out, "Actually, kid, get back here." He froze, wondering what it was, knowing that there was no way Tony could've read the essay that fast.

Tony smirked at the kid, who was biting his lip nervously. "Kid, I changed my mind. I don't want to read your essay."

Peter gaped. "What?"

"I don't want to read it," Tony repeated. "I want _you_ to read it out loud."

Peter stared at him, feeling his hands start to get a little sweaty. "Uh, Mr. Stark, I dunno if—"

"Is there a problem?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "This isn't a presentation kid, it's just an essay that you wrote." He held out the essay to Peter, who reluctantly took it. "Go on. I want to hear what you have to say."

Peter gulped, staring down at the words he'd written. He glanced up at Tony's expression, and knowing he wasn't going to get out of this, he began slowly. "There are many reasons why I shouldn't skip school, let my grades drop, or lie, but the biggest is that…" He trailed off, shooting Tony a hesitant look before continuing, "Tony Stark is a big tyrant."

Tony let out a snort at that and gestured for Peter to continue. He had figured that something like this would happen, considering how bratty the teenager was.

"Definition of Tony Stark: a jerk who needs to pull his head out of his ass." Peter winced at how that sounded. "To begin, skipping school in his eyes is something terrible to do, but many believe that it is hypocritical of him to think this, as he himself skipped multiple years of school as a result of his supposed intelligence. Therefore, I should not skip school to ensure that I will not receive as much hate as he does from others."

"Go on, Mr. Parker," Tony drawled.

"Next, letting my grades drop is a bad idea, because not everyone is as lucky as the oh so amazing Tony Stark to be able to be wealthy from birth. I need good grades in order to achieve what I want, and I need to do this myself because unfortunately, Mr. Stark would not be able to teach me this as a result of his miserable life of drowning in money from birth.

"Finally, I should not lie because they will eventually come back around and slap me in the face one day, just like how Tony Stark's own stupidity does to him. Lies never remain lies, so therefore, I should always tell the truth if I don't want to be a miserable old man like him." Peter gulped, not daring to meet Tony's eyes as he continued. "In conclusion, my actions were wrong and inappropriate, but not as incorrect as Tony Stark's entire life has been so far."

Tony listened silently, clapping sarcastically when Peter went silent. "Wow, kid, you really outdid yourself this time. Bravo."

Peter swallowed nervously, blinking away guilty tears. "M-Mr. St-Stark, I—"

Tony's look turned hard, all traces of hilarity gone. "Tell me, Peter, do you think that was what I expected of you?"

Peter shook his head mutely.

"Hmm, no. I didn't think so. And remind me, what were the consequences of messing up that essay?" Tony prompted next, arm's folded across his chest and expression grim.

"Mr. Stark… please… I'll redo it!" Peter pleaded, face heating up.

Tony nodded. "Oh yeah, you better believe you will. You'll be doing it with a sore ass next time though. Come here," Tony ordered, crooking a finger at him.

Peter shook his head nervously.

"Right now, kid," Tony ordered sternly.

Another head shake.

Tony rolled his eyes, running out of patience. He grabbed one of the chairs out from the table while simultaneously, grabbing Peter's wrist and giving his arm a strong tug so that the teen tumbled over his knee the second he'd sat down on the seat. Peter let out a yelp above him and scrambled to get some kind of balance with his hands.

Tony brought his hand down in a firm slap against his the seat of his jeans. Another three followed, followed by a surprised yelp from Peter. Mr. Stark had never started with such sore swats before.

Tony didn't even bother scolding him yet; he'd warned Peter what would happen if he didn't do as he'd been told and frankly, he was a little hurt by the teen's words. He was the great Tony Stark who didn't feel any serious emotions, but that was all a front. Peter's apparent misconception of him cut deep but he refused to acknowledge his own emotions right now. What mattered, was setting the kid on a straight course.

Peter tried to take it quietly but it freakin' hurt and he felt so guilty already! He had to try and make it up to Mr. Stark but he really didn't know how. Eventually the heat in his bottom got too much and he started to squirm, trying to throw a hand back. "Mr. Stark, p-please! I'm s-sorry! I didn't mean it!" He stammered out desperately, hoping he sounded as heartfelt as was.

"You know, kid, an apology doesn't fix everything," Tony told him, not letting up on the spanks he was currently raining down. "A simple 'sorry' just doesn't cut it this time. You know that, don't you?"

Peter nodded, whimpering and grabbing onto Tony's pant leg with his hands.

"I didn't want to hear disrespectful words from you when I assigned that essay, Mr. Parker," Tony scolded. "You should be proud of yourself, kid, you really should." His tone was sarcastic. "You've just earned yourself a longer time over my lap, which I'm sure you didn't really want, but hey — what can we do, right?"

"O-Owwww!" Peter cried out, kicking his legs. Gosh, these spanks really hurt!

"After this spanking, you'll be heading back to that table, where you're gonna sit your ass down to rewrite that essay. I don't want to hear a single sound of complaint from you when doing so, do you understand me?"

"Yessir!" Peter wailed. "P-Pleaseeee, OWWW! No moreee!"

"Oh, trust me, kid, we're far from done." Tony shook his head disapprovingly, swatting down hard. "In fact, these swats are just for that little essay you wrote me. We still have to discuss your misbehaviour."

"B-But 'm sorryyyy!" Peter felt tears prickling at his eyes already and he clenched his fists, trying not to cry.

"I know you are," Tony replied, voice still full of sternness. "I'd be surprised if you weren't."

"M-Mr. Stark!" Peter whimpered, voice cracking. "I d-didn't mean w-what I said, p-promiseeee."

"I know, kid." Tony's voice was more gentle this time. "You were angry, weren't you?"

Peter nodded furiously, hanging his head even lower, if possible. "S-Shouldn't have said them," he managed to get out, blinking back tears. _Stupid!_ he scolded himself. What had he been thinking, saying those stupid things?

"No, you shouldn't have," Tony agreed.

Peter nodded, crying quietly into the carpet. "I w-won't do it again…" he promised quietly.

Tony sighed. "I really hope not. Words have a lot of power, kid. People can start wars with a few angrily placed words," he lectured, thinking back on the civil war he and Cap had started early that year. "I expect better from you."

Peter managed another meek nod, howling as Tony tipped him forward, upsetting his balance, and started targeting his sit spots. He didn't think he'd be able to sit down to write the stupid essay. He clutched the carpet with one hand, the other snaking up to clutch at Tony's ankle. He'd never seen the other man this fierce except in battle and the shock of it had knocked his remaining temper out of the park.

Tony spanked him soundly for another few minutes before righting him. He levelled Peter with a stern look. "Alright, we're going to try this again. Sit down at the table and write me an essay. You know what's expected of you now?"

Peter nodded, looking down at the floor and wiping at his eyes in embarrassment. "Alright, Peter, on you go. You have one hour. I suggest you use the time wisely and spend some time planning appropriate answers because if we have to repeat this part I'll make that seem like nothing."

Peter couldn't help but whimper, giving another shuddering breath. "Yes Sir, M-Mr. Stark. S-sorry…" he turned back to the table and sat down gingerly a few feet away from Tony, wincing at the pressure on his backside. He had accelerated healing but for some reason it just didn't seem to work on a freshly spanked backside, much to his disappointment.

Tony watched him for a moment before standing and returning the chair to its home. He wanted nothing more than to tell Peter it was okay, but he knew he needed to be firm or the kid would continue to test him and act like a kid in the throws of a tantrum. He went to the fridge and pulled out two cans of soda, opening them both returning to the table to place one in front of Peter.

The teenager managed a subdued thank you, eyes only briefly meeting Tony's eye before returning to the papers in front of him. He'd scripted the title immaculately but was now staring at the blank page.

Tony squeezed his shoulder then returned to the couch to play Candy Crush.

This time around, silence stretched around the room for much longer. The only sound was that of Peter writing furiously, pausing every so often to think about what he wanted to say next.

Peter wrote his essay as neatly as he could, treating it like he would a test or essay assigned at school. He left a note on the front of the pile with a heartfelt apology scrawled in his usual handwriting. It wouldn't make it better but he hoped Mr. Stark would realise he meant every word.

"Finished, kid?" Tony asked him. When he received a nod, he gestured for Peter to hand the essay over to him. He read through it quickly and was pleased to find that thankfully, for both of their sakes, the kid had taken it seriously this time. He apologized multiple times throughout the essay and acknowledged why his actions had been wrong, much to Tony's satisfaction. When he finished reading it, he looked up to see Peter biting his lip nervously, waiting for him to say something. Giving a small nod, Tony stood up and placed the papers on the table before turning to Peter.

"What now?" the teenager asked meekly.

Tony considered his options before coming to a decision. He pointed to a drawer in the corner of the room and said, "Peter, I want you to open the very first drawer."

Peter headed over wordlessly, knowing that whatever it was, it wouldn't be anything good. Not for his backside, at least. He opened it and froze, mouth going dry.

"Pick it up and bring it to me," Tony told him, knowing the kid had seen the ruler in the drawer and had connected the dots as to what it would be used for.

Peter reached out shakily and picked it up, gripping it tightly as he pushed the drawer shut. Slowly, he headed back to Tony, trembling nervously. "M-Mr. Stark, I… please, you don't have to—"

"I do," Tony interrupted in a firm tone. He reached out and placed a hand on Peter's shoulder, which strangely comforted the teenager. "What you did was serious, Peter. Forging signatures is illegal. Skipping class, not handing in assignments, and lying are all things that you shouldn't have done, and if this is the only way that the lesson will stick, then so be it."

"But… you already spanked me," Peter protested weakly, voice cracking. "And I wrote that essay. I know what I did was wrong, Mr. Stark, I swear!"

"I know, kid, but this is just to help reinforce that. And that previous spanking was for your impertinence in the first essay." Tony steeled himself against the puppy eyes the teenager had, just gently pulling him over to the couch. It would probably be more comfortable for Peter than the chair.

Peter dragged his feet but meekly followed, sniffling and trying his hardest not to cry. He'd never been spanked with something before, not even when Uncle Ben gave him in trouble… he kept his head down, waiting for Tony to direct him further.

Tony bit back a soft sigh, forcing himself to stay firm. He sat down before patted his left thigh. "Alright, kid. You know the deal," Tony told him before changing his mind and tugging Peter over his knee to save the kid balking. "I'm gonna use my hand and finish with the ruler, understood?" He wanted this lesson to stick for a long, long time.

Peter whimpered but nodded bravely. "Y-yessir…" he managed.

"Good boy," Tony praised. He wrapped an arm around Peter's slim waist, marvelling at how skinny the kid was given how much he could eat, then brought his hand down firmly. Peter gasped a couple of seconds later and Tony decided the force was right. He set up a brisk pace, not wanting to drag things out, and willed the kid to stay out of trouble because he _really_ didn't want to come down harder on the teen than he already was.

Within a few minutes, Peter was squirming over his lap miserably. His wriggling got so animated that he almost succeeded in getting off Tony's lap and away from the searing spanks reheating his bottom. "Hey, settle down," Tony warned firmly.

"Oww! B-but it's too h-hard!" Peter whined, continuing to squirm.

Tony sighed. "That's the point of a spanking, Mr. Parker. Now cut it out. You earned this. In fact, remind me, why are you being spanked today?"

Peter let out a whine of frustration, shaking his head miserably. "Y-you al-r-ready know!" He protested, voice wobbling.

"Yeah, I do, and I want to make sure you do. Why are you getting your backside smacked like a disobedient kid?" Tony prompted sternly, landing a few extra sore spanks for good measure before returning to his regular speed and force. Seriously, did this kid never give in?

"'Cause I — I skipped school!" Peter cried out, kicking. "Owww, Mr. Stark! I-It… too hard! Ow, ow, OW!"

"That's a start," Tony agreed. "What else?"

"Owww, uhhh, I…" Peter broke off with a sob when Tony didn't let up on his spanks. This freakin' hurt! "Grades … dropping," he managed to get out. "Forged s-s-signatures."

"That's right. And you lied, didn't you? You lied to Aunt May not too long ago about why you came home late, and you lied on other occasions."

"Uh-huhhh." Peter sniffled miserably, crying softly. He let out a small sob of relief when Tony finally stopped spanking, but he was dismayed to feel the ruler tap his bottom in warning. "Nooo, pleaaasseee. Mr. S-Stark, I swear 've l-learned my lesson!"

"I know, kid, this is just to make sure that it sticks." Tony patted the sobbing teenager's back. "This spanking is for skipping school, not keeping your grades up, forging signatures, and lying. Do you understand me?"

"Uh-huhhh."

"I never want to hear that you've done something like that again, do you understand, young man?" Tony said sternly, bringing down the first smack with the ruler.

Peter howled at the burning sensation of the ruler. As if it didn't hurt enough already! "Yes!" he cried out. "Y-You won't, I promise!"

"Good. I'm going to hold you to that promise." Tony landed a few more swats with the ruler until Peter went limp, just crying, unable to plead and beg anymore. Tony decided that it was time to wrap up, so he lifted his leg and landed a few more smacks onto the kid's sit spots before stopping. "Shhh, we're all done now, kid."

Peter didn't move, crying silently into the couch cushions. He was barely aware of his mentor

Tony rubbed his back a moment before taking the initiative and levering him upright. "Hey kid, come on. I got you. Shh, I forgive you. I'm not mad anymore." He let out a grunt as he found his lapspace full of crying teenager and froze for a few seconds before wrapping his arms around Peter and letting him get it out his system. He felt uncomfortable but was surprised to realise Peter's well-being meant more to him than his own discomfort.

For a while, neither of them spoke, Peter hiding his face against Tony and crying softly against him. Eventually he sniffed and peeked up at Tony. "S-sorry…" he mumbled. "W-won't do it 'g-gain…"

Tony offered him a reassuring smile. "I know, kid. All forgiven. You still got homework to finish, but then I was thinking I could show you round. After all, you'll need to know the place if you're gonna be coming here more often as part of your internship…" Tony didn't mention that he wanted to keep a close eye on the teen for a while.

Peter gasped and looked up at him with wide eyes. "Oh my God, really? I get to see _the_ Tower? Mr. Stark, you're the best!" he announced excitedly, upset forgotten for a while.

Tony chuckled. "Glad to hear you like me again," he teased. "Homework first though, and I'll be checking it. You hungry? I'll make something while you work." He gave the kid a squeeze and then stood them both up.

Peter nodded. "Starving!" He decided.

Tony laughed. "Are you ever not hungry?"

"Nope. Perks of the job," the teen sassed back.

Tony ruffled his hair. "Alright, wise guy. Get started, I'll make sure you don't waste away."

Peter obediently made his way to the table, retrieving his previously abandoned backpack from the floor on the way. He sat down sheepishly, whimpering, and pulled out his books. He could hear Tony moving around behind him as he focused on his problems. He soon got absorbed, the promise of a tour of the tower a bright ray of sunshine on an otherwise cloudy day. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all, he decided, quickly feeling totally safe and at home in his surroundings.

By the time Tony sent him home to May that night, his upset at being in trouble had been overtaken by his excitement of the cool stuff Tony had let him do. He didn't patrol that night, instead collapsing into bed with a grin on his face. This entire being a superhero business was exhausting but he wouldn't change it for the world.


	5. Spiders just wanna have Fun

**Author's Note: And since I kept you waiting a while... Here's a second chapter feat teenage mischief and Pete's first visit to Avenger's Tower. Woo! Enjoy!**

Peter had been spending the last half and hour trying to decide what to do. He and Ned had been invited to some cool sounding house party that was due to start in an hour. Ned could already go, and his friend had been constantly begging him to come to the party as well, claiming that he didn't want to be alone. Peter did want to go, but he wasn't sure if he should. May would let him go, he knew, because she trusted him to not do anything stupid, but Tony had texted him that he was free to come over to the Avengers Tower if he wanted to.

However, at yet another phone call from Ned, who begged him to ask to come for the hundredth time, he texted Tony and told him that he had something else he was supposed to be doing and called his aunt, who was at work, to ask if he could go.

She easily agreed, telling him to have fun and be careful, and to keep his curfew in mind.

So, now he was standing in front of his wardrobe, trying to figure out what to wear. Knowing it wasn't a formal party or anything, he pulled on a pair of jeans and a nice sweatshirt.

He checked his watch and sighed, letting out a groan. "Ugh, Ned," he grumbled as he made his way out of the apartment and towards his and Ned's meeting point. He wasn't going to drink or anything. In fact, he wasn't gonna stay long. He'd just go in, show face, and then high tail it to the Avengers Tower and hang out with Tony before coming home. Once he'd decided that, he began to feel more relaxed. He could handle a couple of hours at a party for the sake of Ned and then he'd escape and no one would notice.

center***/center

They'd been at the party for over two hours now. Peter had gone with the intention of leaving early, but then Liz had walked in and his thoughts had scattered. He'd decided that one drink wouldn't hurt, but that had been hours ago and now one drink had led to another, and Peter Parker was tipsy.

He'd lost Ned about half an hour ago and by the time his best friend returned, he'd moved on to showing off parkour routines...indoors.

"Peter!" Ned hissed as he spotted him. "What are you doing?"

"Oh hey, Ned!" Peter greeted cheerfully. "Jake and I were just showing off some skills. Wanna see?" the teen asked his friend, doing a reverse backflip from his spot half way up the bookcase.

"Dude, what the hell? This isn't you…" Ned accused, voice high pitched with worry.

Peter grinned at him. "Sure it is, I got th—" Peter let out a yelp as he started to free fall from the bannister that he'd start climbing onto. He impressed everyone when he managed to propel his body in a swing and catch the bannister again, sliding down it. "Woah!"

Ned groaned, debating what to do. Peter was either gonna hurt himself or reveal his identity to their friends and neither of them sounded promising. He managed to swipe Peter's phone from his pocket as his friend slid down to stand beside him. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom," Ned informed him, hoping his voice didn't tremble in the lie he was telling. He waited for a distracted nod from Peter then dashed to the door into the bathroom, locking it behind him. He only knew of one person who get Peter to listen when he was being crazy stubborn and that was Mr. Stark, but maybe Aunt May could get Peter to stop drinking. He had no idea what to do.

But then again, May was probably at work, which meant she couldn't just leave. Mr. Stark, on the other hand, would come for Peter right away. Ned knew that he was extremely firm on the whole 'keep your identity a secret, Peter' thing. So, he unlocked his friend's phone, took a deep breath, and pressed the contact name labelled "Mr. Stark."

The phone rang twice before it was picked up. "Hello?"

Ned let out a small squeak, unable to believe that he was seriously calling Tony Stark from his friend's phone. "Um, Mr. Stark?"

"Who is this?"

Ned winced. "I'm, uh, Ned. I'm Peter's friend? I'm sorry, I thought he told you about—"

"Oh, yes, Ned. Of course Peter's mentioned you to me. I'm a little confused as to why you're calling from his phone, though."

"Uh, well, Mr. Stark, I dunno what to say…" Ned bit his lip before deciding to just say it. "Actually, we're kind of at a party right now and, um, there was alcohol—"

"What?"

Ned winced at the change in Mr. Stark's tone. "Uh, yeah, and—"

"Has Peter been drinking?" the billionaire growled.

"He had a few drinks, yeah — he said he wasn't going to, but then Liz came and I guess he just got really nervous about that and since everyone's drinking he just—"

"Is he okay? Is he in danger? Why is he not calling me?"

"Everything's okay, Mr. Stark… well, sort of…" Ned trailed off, grimacing. "Peter's just… he's drunk, Mr. Stark, and he's not paying attention to his surroundings. He's gonna do something stupid or reveal his identity."

"Drag his ass somewhere where no one can hear you two. Tell him that he needs to get to the Avengers Tower now. I'm gonna send Happy or—"

"The Avengers Tower?" Ned nearly shrieked, lowering his voice just in time. "Oh my god, Peter's gonna go to the—"

"Ned."

"Right, sorry." Ned scrambled out of the bathroom and shoved through the crowd, trying to find his friend. He was dismayed to find him hanging from a chandelier upside down by his feet, somehow hanging on. "Uh, Mr. Stark, Peter's kinda occupied right now," he informed, keeping his voice low in order to make sure no one would know who he was talking to.

"What the hell do you mean?"

"Well, he's hanging upside down from—"

"Tell him to get down. For God's sake, teenagers!"

Ned waved his arms around, attempting to get his friend's attention, knowing that he couldn't very well just scream out that Tony Stark wanted to speak with him. "Peter!" he called.

Peter swung around to face him, a lopsided grin on his face. "Ned!" he called back happily. "This is really fun, you should try it too!"

"There's someone on the phone for you!" Ned tried.

"'M too busy to talkkkkk," Peter sang back, swinging back and forth. "Ned! Ned, do you hear this song?" He paused, then grinned. "It fits what I'm doing right now! _I came in like a wreckinggg balll_!"

With a groan, Ned put the phone back to his ear, saying, "Mr. Stark, he's not listening."

"Oh for God's sake," the man muttered on the other side of the line. "Okay, Ned, is anyone watching you?"

Ned looked around and shook his head. "No." Everyone was too drunk or busy making out to notice anything out of the ordinary, which was definitely a good thing, because a teenager swinging from a chandelier was _not_ normal!

"Great. Throw the phone at him."

"What?" Ned nearly laughed, thinking that the billionaire was joking.

"I'm serious, Ned. His spider sense will alert him. He's not going to be listening to you anytime soon, but he _will_ listen to me."

Ned looked skeptical but eventually nodded. "Okay, Mr. Stark… do I warn him first?"

"No. His spider senses will be warning enough."

"Are you sure he'll listen?" Ned asked in concern for his friend.

"Oh yeah, he'll listen, alright. Ned, you've done a good job, you're a good friend. I need to speak to Peter now, alright? Sooner I do that? The sooner we can get him out of there before something goes wrong."

Ned nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Mr. Stark." He swallowed nervously and let out a breath, then tossed the phone at Peter's face. It took a moment but Peter caught it, only wobbling slightly until he regained his balance. "Hey, Ned, what was that for?"

"It's for you," Ned called back up to him.

"Oh." Peter frowned at the phone a moment before holding it clumsily to his ear. "Aunt May, hi, I already told you—"

"It isn't Aunt May, Peter," Tony interrupted firmly.

"Tony?" Peter parroted in awe. "Awesome! Hi! I'm doing this—"

"Yeah, I heard about what you've been up to. You have until I count to three to get down from that light fixture before I personally come over there and drag your ass out of there."

"But it's fuuuunnn," Peter protested.

"One."

Peter huffed and rolled his eyes. "Nice talking to you. I gotta go!"

"Peter Parker, don't you _dare_ hang up on me," Tony growled. "I'm serious. You really want to be shouted at in front of your friends?"

That got the teen's attention. "Wait, what? You can't! I'm just having fun… Liz is here…"

"I know, pal. But you're going to get yourself in big trouble if you don't get down from that chandelier. _Now._ "

Peter grumbled but grudgingly complied, making Ned gasp as he released his legs and fell into a free fall, somehow managing to flip himself upright and land on his feet in a crouch. Well, almost. "Alright, _fine._ I'm down. Happy now? You really suck sometimes, Mr. S…"

" _Peter,"_ Tony growled in warning. "What have I told you about name calling, hmm?"

Peter frowned. "Well, it's true. You always ruin my fun…"

Tony sighed on the other end of the phone. "Alright, enough. Happy is on his way to pick you up and take you to Avengers Tower. You are going to behave like a good spider, or so help me, kid, I'm going to kick your ass."

"But, Mr. Stark… I'm havin' fun!"

"I know, Peter. But you're drunk. You can't get drunk. What if someone needed help and you were too tipsy to help them? What if I needed you to come to work? You can't put on the suit under the influence! And as for swinging from the chandeliers and doing crazy flips and climbing up half a building for fun, just to _show_ off?"

"I.. I… I wasn't in danger! I can do that stuff…" Peter insisted incredulously.

"Just because you _can_ do it doesn't mean you should." Tony's tone was unimpressed by his excuse. "Seriously, kid, I can't believe you were reckless enough to get drunk."

"C'mon, Mr. Starkkkk." Peter rolled his eyes. "Stop being such a boring old man! You know how great feeling drunk issss."

"Yeah, and I also know how horrible it feels the next day." Tony scoffed.

"Yeah, okay." Peter made an annoyed sound. "At least I get to come over to the Avengers Tower. I love coming there at night, it's always so fun when I—"

"Won't be too fun for you this time," Tony interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose. "A hangover, a trip over my lap, and a burning ass doesn't sound very appealing to me."

"Aww, c'mon, Mr. Stark," Peter began to whine.

Tony cut him off. "Happy tells me that he's waiting outside for you now. Get your ass in the car, kid. You're not taking any detours."

"Fine." Peter huffed and hung up. He stumbled out the door and fumbled with the car door, finally managing to open it. "Hi, Happy," he greeted emotionlessly as he slumped down in the comfortable seat.

"Put your seatbelt on," was all Happy said.

Rolling his eyes, Peter did so. "Not a little kid."

Happy just grunted, and the rest of the ride was silent. When they arrived at the Tower, Peter found Tony waiting in front of the entrance for him, and he dragged his feet as he walked forward. Running away probably wouldn't be a good idea, since he was too drunk to think smartly. Besides, Tony would catch him in a second.

"Why, Mr. Parker, how nice of you to join us," Tony said in a sarcastic tone, placing a firm hand on the back of Peter's neck and steering him into the building. "Good party?"

"Better than this shitty old building," Peter growled, shrugging the man's hand off angrily. He was still pissed that Tony was pulling him out of the party, as if he were some little kid.

Tony gritted his teeth and counted to ten in his head. "If I were you, I'd get a hold of that attitude. At this rate we won't make it upstairs before I haul you over my knee," he warned, leaning in closer to speak in a low growl so nobody else would hear them.

Peter flushed and glared at him. "Screw you," he retorted.

Tony frowned right back at him. "Okay, you want to play it that way," he acknowledged, turning Peter around to land a hard swat. "Cut the crap, kid."

Peter's jaw dropped and he yelled, wobbling on his feet. "Ahh! What was that for? You're being a jerk!"

"Takes one to know one," Tony muttered in frustration.

"Ugh, this is crummy. I'm going home," Peter snapped, trying to storm off and teetering off balance until Tony reached out and caught his arm. "Not yet, you're not. Come on," Tony ordered, towing Peter along to the lift with a grim look on his face.

Peter stumbled and struggled to keep up with Tony's pace, protesting loudly. "Ah, wait up! Slow down, M-Mr. Stark!"

"See, that could be a problem, pal. Going slower just gives you more time to put your foot in it," Tony answered bluntly. "And we don't want that because you've already pushed your luck plenty tonight."

Peter huffed and tried to pull away but Tony's grip was strong and his movements were impaired by the spirits in his system. "Damn it! Lemme go!" he insisted angrily.

"Kid, I'm gonna warn you once, and only once." Tony stopped dead, grabbing Peter's shoulders and forcing him to make eye contact. "Don't. Test. My. Patience. I'm serious. You have enough coming; do you seriously want to end up with two spankings instead of one?"

Peter glowered. "No," he muttered.

"Then I've heard enough from you. I don't want to hear another word from you unless it's a legitimate apology." Tony pulled Peter forward again and they entered the elevator.

Peter was continuously glaring at the floor as they walked, throwing the best insults he could think of to Tony, who was clearly making a point of ignoring the silent tantrum Peter was throwing as he walked.

When they arrived in Tony's office, the man pointed at the chair in front of his desk. To his relief, Peter obeyed, sitting down in the chair, although a bit mutinously.

"Okay, kid. This is your chance. I want you to explain to me what exactly happened at that party. And for both of our sakes, you'd better be drunk for a good reason."

Peter just shrugged, glaring at his hands. "No reason," he muttered. "Just got carried away. Not my fault."

Tony scrutinized him for several seconds before saying, "You know, Peter, you always say that it's not your fault that you're in trouble." When he didn't get a response, he sighed and said, "Look, kid. I know how it can feel to have everyone at the party drinking and how cool you have to be in front of everyone. Every teenager goes through that. But you're not _just_ a teenager, Peter. You're Spider-Man, and Spider-Man does _not_ endanger himself or his identity by recklessly getting drunk!"

Peter remained silent.

Tony sighed and massaged his temples, already feeling a headache coming along. He wasn't sure if Peter was just being a brat and purposefully not answering him, or if he was genuinely upset and repentant about this whole matter. However, when Peter looked up with a glare, he decided that yep, it definitely wasn't the latter.

Tony raised his eyebrows at him. "You can't seriously think this isn't on you," he asked in disbelief, deciding to switch tactic a little.

"It isn't! It was Ned's stupid idea to go to that dumb party. He wouldn't take no for an answer!" Peter spat out mutinously.

Tony almost failed at hiding his surprise. Peter and Ned were best friends; they never threw one another under the bus usually. "So, what, kid? You're saying he made you drink alcohol? He forced you to perform your little acrobatic routine?"

"Well, no, but…"

"But _what,_ Peter?" Tony prompted impatiently when the teenager trailed off. "'But' isn't an excuse."

"Oh, shut up already… I got drunk, it's not even a big deal!" Peter retorted, rolling his eyes and moving to stand. All of a sudden, his eyes widened and he shook his head.

Tony recognised the look and groaned. He was going to kill this boy. He reached for the waste paper basket, glad it was lined with a trash bag, and held it out to Peter who gratefully accepted it, attitude temporarily forgotten about as he threw up once and then waited for the wave of nausea to pass.

Tony sighed heavily. There was no way he could punish the kid right now; it would be totally moot. He watched silently, waiting for Peter's posture to change so they could continue this conversation and he could get his impulsive, reckless protégée into the guest room. He'd have to let May know Peter wouldn't be home tonight without making her suspicious.

"Alright, buddy, you done?" he asked calmly, concern shadowing his voice.

Peter gave a jerky nod.

"Okay, good. It's time we get you to bed," Tony told him, squeezing his shoulder.

Peter surprised him by shrugging away and staring at the ground before looking up at Tony. "Screw you… M'going home!"

Tony raised his eyebrows, giving the rebellious teenager a look. "Really, kid? You're gonna go home in this state?" He snorted.

Peter positively glowered. "Yes, Mr. Stark, I am. Why not?"

"Why not?" Tony stared at the teenager incredulously. "Because you're drunk as hell! Heck, kid, you just threw up! If you go out in the streets like this — or as Spider-Man, mind you; neither one sounds good to me — who knows what'll happen to you? This is the Avengers Tower, kid." Tony gestured around him, knowing that the kid would be convinced with what he was about to say. "You really don't wanna stay overnight in the Avengers Tower?"

Peter stared at him for a few moments, and Tony could practically see his mind working furiously to weigh out the pros and cons of staying. "Fine," he eventually muttered. "I'll stay, but only because you're a mean old man who's forcing me to!"

Tony had to bite his smirk back, knowing that the moody teenager wouldn't appreciate it at all in his current situation. Instead, he placed a hand on the small of his back, leading him to a guest room that was close to his own room. No matter how much he didn't want to admit it, this kid had him wrapped around his little finger. He wanted to keep a close eye on the teenager throughout the night, knowing how horrible the after effects of drinking felt.

"This room good with you, kid?" he asked as they entered, opening the door. It was a moderately sized room, not the biggest in the building, yet not the smallest. There was a desk in the corner, along with a king-sized bed and a bathroom connected to it. The covers of the bed were red and blue, which was purely a coincidence, yet fitting.

Peter just nodded silently. Tony didn't reprimand him for his silence, knowing that he was probably still feeling a bit sick.

They stood in silence for a moment before Peter frowned. "I don't have any pyjamas," he realized glumly, starting to get embarrassed.

Tony relaxed, realizing the kid wasn't about to start a war with him. "Hey, it's okay pal. I think I should have something you can borrow. Might be a little baggy, but it'll do the trick. Stay here a minute, okay?"

Peter sighed, pouting up at him. "But…"

"Shh, it's okay. I'm just going across the corridor, alright? I mean it, kid, don't leave this room." Tony ruffled his hair and made his way to his own room to retrieve a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt from his own college days. He carried them back to the guest room and held them up to Peter. "Here, try those."

Peter accepted them silently and wobbled his way into the bathroom, still looking a little green. He emerged five minutes later in Tony's clothes which fit surprisingly well.

Tony offered him a smile. "You ready for bed?"

Peter shrugged. "Aunt May's gonna freak…" he mumbled.

"I already texted her from your phone and said you were having a sleepover with Ned. I know I said no lying, but I figure she doesn't need to know if I'm already handling it." Tony raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for the kid to protest.

Peter surprised him by shooting him a subdued nod and a grateful, "Thanks, Mr. Stark. I'm sorry…"

Tony sighed, sitting down on the bed and beckoning the teen over. He huffed out a laugh when Peter shook his head with wide eyes and took a step back. "Relax, pal. I'm not gonna put you over my knee tonight, so long as your crappy attitude is gone. C'mere…"

Peter debated another minute before obediently closing the distance between them, letting out a sound of surprise when Tony pulled him into a quick, reassuring hug.

"Time for bed now, alright? Drink some of that water and then straight to sleep, understood?" Tony asked semi-sternly, beckoning towards the glass of water he'd handily placed on the bedside table earlier.

Peter nodded. He inched towards the bathroom, shooting the other man a hesitant look. "Gotta brush my teeth," he mumbled. When Tony gestured for him to go ahead, he shot towards the bathroom, eager to get the bad taste out of his mouth. He found a new toothbrush in the bathroom and he picked it up, making quick work of it before using the toilet and coming back out.

"Done?" Tony raised an eyebrow at him, not unkindly.

"Yeah." Peter sighed, glancing at the clock. It was way too early for bed. He knew he was drunk, which meant that sleeping off the alcohol would hopefully ease his slowly growing headache, but still! It was only 9!

"C'mon, pal, in bed." Tony stood up and gestured for him to get into the comfortable looking bed. "Drink some water too."

Peter picked up the glass of water, downing every single drop of water in the glass before reluctantly sitting down in the bed. He knew that Tony was being merciful, as he hadn't spanked him yet, which meant that he really should not push the man. He did feel a little guilty; he had been terribly rude to the billionaire earlier, but still! Who went to bed at nine at his age?

Tony gave him a look of approval when he got into bed, and the man gazed down at him for a few seconds before speaking. "We're going to have a little _discussion_ about behaving and consuming alcohol tomorrow. Right now, I want you to sleep, alright?"

Peter nodded, shifting underneath the covers to get comfortable. He pulled them up to his chest, enjoying the warm feeling. God, this bed was amazingly comfy.

"If you need to get out of bed for any reason, or you need me, you can ask Friday. Isn't that right, Friday?"

"Of course, Sir. I will assist Mr. Parker if he is in need of aid," the AI responded.

"Thank you," Tony said. He gave Peter a pointed look, causing the teenager to blush and mumble a quick 'thank you' as well. Tony closed the blinds and asked Friday to turn the lights off before leaving Peter alone.

Peter lay still in bed for a few minutes, trying to close his eyes, but his headache was worsening, although he thankfully didn't feel like he was going to puke again. He wasn't sleepy at all. How the hell was he supposed to sleep at this time? God, anything to get out of bed. With a huff, he threw his arms back. "Friday?"

"Yes, Mr. Parker?"

"Where is Mr. Stark?" Peter glanced at the clock, which read 9:28, which meant that he had been lying awake for practically only half an hour now. He bit back a groan.

"Mr. Stark is currently in his room," the AI responded. "Would you like me to inform him that—"

"No! No, it's okay. Thank you, Friday." God knew how Tony would react if he found out that he wasn't sleeping yet, Peter thought wryly. He lay still for five more minutes before an idea popped into his head. "Friday? Can you tell Mr. Stark that I'm hungry?"

"I will do so, Mr. Parker," she replied, "although I am not sure how pleased he will be to hear this, as he is expecting you to be asleep at the moment."

Peter sighed. "I know, Friday. I'm really trying but I'm hungry now…" he insisted hopefully.

"Mr. Stark is on his way," Friday informed him a moment later.

"Thanks, Friday."

Tony popped his head in, raising an eyebrow at the kid. "Friday said you needed me, kid?"

Peter nodded, hitting him with the full effect of his puppy dog eyes, making the older man chuckle and shake his head fondly.

"Uh-huh," Peter agreed. "I'm huuuuungry!" He complained.

Tony chuckled. "Course you are. Alright, I'll make you something." He left to go and make a PB&J sandwich, confused for a moment when Peter trotted out into the kitchen expectantly.

"What are you doing, kid?" Tony asked in disbelief.

"You're making me food," Peter explained as if it was obvious.

Tony thought about sending him straight back to bed but eventually sighed. "Right. One PB&J sandwich coming up."

He made Peter three sandwiches and carried his plate back to the bedroom; knowing what his metabolism was like, the kid would be straight back saying he was hungry if Tony didn't feed him a lot at the get go.

Peter frowned. "Hey, shouldn't I sit at the table?"

Tony shook his head. "Nope. Because once you eat, it's time to sleep. If you're sitting at the table I'm gonna have to smack you to get you back to bed…"

Tony had to fight the urge to laugh when Peter looked up at him with comically wide eyes. "No thanks…" he answered quickly. "But Mr. Stark, _please_ can't I just sit at the table and talk to you till I've eaten?"

"No, buddy. It's time for bed. Believe me, you need your sleep before the morning after hits," Tony explained.

Peter sighed, but obediently slid back into bed this time. Tony reached out to ruffle his hair. "Eat, then sleep. I'll check on you in a little while."

Peter watched him go, frowning down at his sandwich. He didn't feel so hungry anymore. He nibbled at it, knowing himself well enough to know that in the next half hour he likely _would_ be hungry, then lay back down with a woeful sigh. "Hey, Friday? Can you put some music on?"

"Mr. Parker, I suspect Mr. Stark would not approve of such actions," the AI reminded him.

"Please, Friday? It might help me sleep…" the teen pleaded.

Peter swore he heard the AI sigh. _Could AI's even sigh_? he wondered curiously. Maybe he could ask Tony later. Eventually, Friday responded. "What music do you wish to listen to?"

"'Inside in, inside out' by the Kooks please. Thanks, Friday," Peter laid his head back and closed his eyes, trying to unwind. Usually this soundtrack always helped him relax, but apparently not tonight.

"Hey Friday? I'm just gonna get a glass of water. Don't tell, Mr. Stark, okay?" He requested softly, slipping out of bed and grabbing his glass before padding towards the kitchen. He blinked in surprise and looked up wild eyed when Tony spoke from the couch.

"Peter? What are you doing out of bed?" Tony asked from his spot on the couch doing some kind of work on his tablet.

"I-I… I was thirsty. I just came for w-water…" he stammered, obviously caught by surprise.

Tony raised an eyebrow at him skeptically but eventually nodded. "Alright, pal. Let's get you some water. Water'll help counter the hangover tomorrow anyway."

"That's okay, I can…" Peter trailed off as Tony set the tablet aside and retrieved Peter's glass from him and replaced it with a bottle of water.

"You can take that through with you," Tony told him as he steered him back towards his room.

"It's okay, I'm going…" Peter protested. "Uh, g-goodnight…"

"Night, kid," Tony murmured, giving his neck an encouraging sleep. "Try and sleep now."

Peter trailed back to his room and dropped the bottle down on the bedside table with a thud. This wasn't fair. He didn't want to go to bed yet. He couldn't even sleep! Why couldn't he just hang out with Mr. Stark for a bit before he went to sleep?

"Friday," he finally said after three minutes had passed, tossing around in bed. "Would Mr. Stark know if I just quickly left to go on a quick look around the neighbourhood as Spider-Man?"

"Unfortunately, Mr. Parker, I am required to inform Mr. Stark if you leave this room," was the AI's response, much to Peter's disappointment.

"What if I asked you not to tell him?" Peter asked, an idea popping into his head.

"I regret to inform you, Mr. Parker, that he would be very upset with both you and me," Friday replied. There was a layer of disapproval in her tone, if possible, as she spoke.

 _Great,_ Peter thought dryly. _Even an AI is somehow getting exasperated with me._ "Okay, Friday, I swear I'm not running away or anything," he began, throwing the covers back and standing up. "I just need to use the bathroom—" He opened the door, and there was a small silence. He frowned, realizing he had not received a response from the AI. "Friday?"

"I have informed Mr. Stark that you have left your room in order to use the restroom," she said, and Peter's jaw dropped.

"Friday!" he spluttered, face going red. "I'm not a little kid! You don't need to tell him everything!"

"I have been ordered to do so, Mr. Parker," Friday replied, though there seemed to be a bit of an apologetic layer under her tone. "As Mr. Stark is my creator, I am not allowed to disobey him for any reason."

"Ugh! Seriously?" Peter rolled his eyes and huffed. He looked around, then realized he had no idea where the bathroom was. "Friday? Where's the bathroom?"

"Down the hall and then turn left. Although I'm not sure why you'd need to come out of the room to find the restroom when you've got one two metres away from you."

Peter whirled around. "Hey, Mr. Stark!" he said, wincing when his voice cracked a little.

The man just sighed. "Go to bed, kid," he said, exasperated. "I know you don't want to sleep, but you need the rest."

"You can't stop me from using the bathroom," Peter muttered, but turned around and headed back inside reluctantly when Tony made a twirling motion with two of his fingers.

"I'm not stopping you," Tony responded mildly. "I'm just directing you to the closest one."

Peter scowled at Tony, muttering under his breath. It wasn't _his_ fault he couldn't sleep.

Tony raise an eyebrow at him when the kid stopped dead in the centre of the room looking anywhere but at him. "Peter," He prompted patiently. "The bathroom's that way." He pointed towards the en suite.

Peter rolled his eyes. "I know, I know, I'm going…" the teen stamped off, face still flushed with embarrassment.

Tony sighed when he heard the bathroom door shut a little more sharply than was necessary. He needed to do something before this went downhill. He walked to the desk and pulled out the chair, moving it over to the bed before going to retrieve his tablet from next door so he could work without leaving Peter to his own devices.

Peter stayed in the bathroom for as long as he dared, coming up with any and every excuse not to go back into his room to his stupid, boring forced bed rest. When he arrived in his bedroom for the night and found Tony settled in the desk chair a couple of feet from the bed, tablet device in hand, he stopped dead and looked at Tony with wide, worried eyes.

Tony looked up with a smile. "Better?"

Peter managed a surprised nod.

Tony nodded in response. "Good. Into bed then, kid."

"But why…" the teenager trailed off, gesturing and Tony mutely.

"Look, I know you're going to keep getting up for the next few hours if I stay in another room, 'cause you're afraid to miss something. So, for that reason, I'm going to sit in here till you fall asleep, because I don't want you to dig yourself into more trouble. "Now, please don't make me ask again or I'm gonna have to hustle you there…"

Peter blushed warmed and stood frozen for a moment but obediently trotted over to the bed, looking calmer than he had in hours. He slid under the covers and sighed, trying to get comfy. "Mr. Stark?"

"Yeah Pete?" Tony answered patiently.

"I can't sleep…" Peter complained, already becoming restless.

"That's because you've not _tried_ to sleep yet. Come on, close your eyes."

Peter did, trying to relax into sleep until he heard movement. His eyes flew open again and he looked at Tony with the verge of a tantrum in his eyes. "W-Wait! Mr Stark… don't go!"

Tony offered him an uncharacteristically tender smile. "Relax, I'm not going anywhere, kid. I was just getting more comfortable because I get the feeling I could be here awhile because you're stubborn as a mule."

"Oh." Peter flushed, feeling a little embarrassed. "Sorry. Um, if you don't wanna stay, you can—"

"You don't need to apologize." Tony gave him a kind look. "And I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be, kid."

Peter just sank back into the pillows, silently admitting that although he didn't want to sleep, he was really, _really_ comfortable. With a sigh, he said, "Mr. Stark, this is a really nice bed."

"Yeah, kid. Comfortable, right?" Tony raised an eyebrow at him. "It's for you to sleep in — which you should be doing right now."

"Can't help it," Peter said pitifully. "'S too early—"

Tony cut him off with a stern look. "You've spent an hour trying to find ways not to fall asleep. Don't think I didn't know what you were trying to do, kid."

Peter ignored that statement, instead saying, "I usually go to bed at like twelve or one, Mr. Stark. You can't just expect me to fall asleep at 10:30 just because you told me to."

Tony ignored him, deciding that arguing further with the kid would only encourage him to continue the conversation. He knew the teenager probably wasn't even sleepy, but he had to be tired, especially if he still had alcohol running through his system. He knew from experience.

Minutes passed, and Tony looked up, wondering if Peter had finally given up and fallen asleep. He was unsurprised to find the teenager staring up at the ceiling woefully, as if Tony had ordered him to do something impossible rather than just sleep. "Close your eyes."

Peter jumped at the sound of Tony's voice, a little embarrassed to find that the billionaire had caught him pouting like a little kid. He rolled over onto his side, looking up at Tony, and said, "Hey, Mr. Stark. You know, the last time I went out on patrol, I saved so many people! Like, this little kid was lost so I helped him find his mom, and I stopped these two guys from robbing a bank."

"That's amazing, kid." Tony couldn't help the fond shake of his head. "I'm proud of you. You're being an excellent friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man."

Peter's chest puffed up at that in pride. Mr. Stark was proud of him! With a grin, he fell back into his original position, deeming it much more comfortable.

Tony chuckled in amusement and waited for the teen to finally, _finally_ close his eyes. He couldn't resist reaching out to fix the covers around the teen more securely despite Peter's embarrassed blush. "Close your eyes, kid. You can tell me more about patrol tomorrow, alright?"

Peter's eyes went as wide as saucers. "Really?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes," Tony promised him. "But _only_ if you quit being stubborn now and actually close your eyes. I'm serious, you need to sleep. Tomorrow, we'll talk. Tonight, sleep."

Peter started to pout before realising how tired he was. Eventually he nodded, rubbing his face against the pillow before relaxing completely, yawning and sighing. "Night, Mr. Stark…" he mumbled around his yawning.

Tony smiled fondly, silent until Peter was practically asleep, his breathing deep and even. "Night, kid. Sleep well."

Peter sighed softly, slipping into a deep and boneless sleep. Tony chuckled and shook his head, relaxing into his chair. Boy, he'd thought the damn brat would never go to sleep. He stayed in the room a while longer before quietly standing and returning the chair to its home under the desk in the corner of the room. He smiled at Peter sleeping and noted in amusement how angelic the teen looked in his sleep. If only that were an accurate representation. He sighed heavily and stretched then quietly left the room so Peter could sleep.

center***/center

Peter slept heavily, eventually waking at around ten with a spectacular groan. His head was pounding hard enough he swore it would split open and he dared not to open his eyes or try to move. "Friday?" he mumbled without moving an inch. "M'I dead?"

"No, Mr. Parker. You are alive. Today you are experiencing a hangover. Mr. Stark is making breakfast to help with the after-effects of drinking last night," Friday responded drily.

Peter groaned again. "Hey, Fri? Can't you make it darker? It's so bright…" he complained next, covering his face with his arms. "And if Mr. Stark asks, m'still sleeping…"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Parker. I have already informed Mr. Stark of you waking. He asked to be kept updated of your state of health." The AI sounded half apologetic and half disapproving.

As if on cue, Tony walked through the door, carrying a tray with food and a glass of water on it. "Rise and shine, Spider-Man," he called far too cheerfully, setting the tray down at the desk in the room.

Peter groaned. "Mr. Starkkkk!" he complained. "You're being too loud."

"I beg to differ." Tony opened the curtains covering the window. As if it wasn't bright enough already! "You're experiencing the merry effects of a hangover. Great, aren't they?"

Peter just moaned, head pounding.

"C'mon, pal, I already have some medicine to help that headache of yours." Tony gestured to the tray. "Up." He ushered Peter to get up.

Peter scrambled clumsily out of bed, stumbling towards the desk. He swallowed the pill Tony gave him with the glass of water. Hopefully it would help the pounding in his head. It felt like Thor was swinging his hammer around in his head constantly.

"That'll help you in a bit," Tony told him. "Right now, you should eat and drink some water. It's essential, especially if that was your first time drinking that much." He raised an eyebrow, as if to say, _That had better be the first time drinking._

Deciding to ignore the implied question, Peter just sat down at the desk, stomach growling at the delicious smell of the breakfast Tony had made. A huge pile of pancakes drizzled with syrup and whipped cream, along with strawberries, bananas, and blueberries on the side sounded absolutely perfect at the moment. There was even a fruit cup for him to eat. "I never knew you could cook," Peter said through a mouthful of food.

"You're welcome," Tony responded dryly, a flash of amusement in his eyes as he sat down next to the famished teenager.

Blushing, Peter mumbled, "Thanks, Mr. Stark," before beginning to devour the meal again.

"I cook very well, if that's what you wanted me to say," Tony said after watching Peter eat for a few moments. "Surprise, surprise, Iron Man can cook."

"'S so good," Peter moaned, gulping down the glass of water. He and Tony made small talk throughout his breakfast, until Peter finally felt himself grow full. He let out a satisfied noise as he slumped back in the chair.

"Thirty pancakes finally good enough?" Tony chuckled, shaking his head. "I swear, kid, that super metabolism of yours…"

"It is pretty fast," Peter agreed, grinning. "That's why I figured it would work with alcohol too — surprised it affected me that much." He groaned, massaging his temples. His headache had eased a little, but not enough.

"Oh, yes, alcohol." Tony's tone was suddenly filled with a new sternness, making Peter freeze. "Shame your metabolism didn't kick in for that, huh?"

Peter shot a slightly ashamed look at the man. Not having a response that Tony would deem as an acceptable explanation for his actions, he remained silent.

"We're going to have a nice, long discussion about what happened yesterday, but not right now." Tony leaned back in his chair, eyeing him grimly. "I don't want you to be sick and throw up when you're over my lap, so we're going to wait until this afternoon."

"It's… a discussion where we're sitting in chairs and actually talking, r-right?" Peter couldn't help but try timidly.

Tony snorted. "We'll see, kid."

Great.

"Alright kid, why don't you grab a shower? That'll help some too," Tony decided, standing up. "I'll just be out in the lounge doing some work if you need me, but I was thinking we could look at another couple of floors later; when you stop being green, we'll see."

Peter's face lit up. "Really? Awesome! We can go now, I feel better already…" he tried hopefully.

"Oh good, we can deal with your spanking first and then have fun," Tony retorted patiently, one eyebrow raised.

Peter's face fell and his eyes went wide as he shook his head. "Actually, I think my head's gotten worse again…"

Tony smirked. "That's what I thought, pal. Shower. We'll talk later. Come on out when you're sorted and we can stick a movie or something on."

Peter nodded and tried to look enthusiastic but his stomach was in butterflies now. He'd hoped Tony would forget about it but it didn't look like that was going to happen. But really, why did he even have to get a spanking anyway? It was just a few drinks. "Wait! Mr Stark? What about my, uh, clothes?"

Tony turned back at the door. "Top drawer, kid. They probably won't be perfect but I figure you'll want to be comfortable today anyway."

Peter nodded again mutely. "Uh, thanks Mr. Stark."

"Sure thing, kid. See you in a bit."

Peter sat at his desk chair thoughtfully for what felt like an eternity after Tony left. He was tired and his head hurt but now he was starting to feel guilty too.

Standing up with a sigh, knowing that he couldn't stay in the room forever, he headed into the bathroom. He showered quickly before pulling the top drawer open. He pulled out a red t-shirt and sweatpants, face flushing in half amusement and half embarrassment when he realized the shirt had a drawing of Spider-Man on the front. Too lazy to change into different clothes, he opened the door and stepped out of the room.

He didn't see Tony anywhere, so he stood awkwardly for a few moments, wondering what to do. He slapped himself inwardly when he realized he could just ask Friday. "Friday, where is Mr. Stark?"

"Mr. Stark is in the living room."

Getting directions from the AI, Peter easily made it to his destination. He found Tony sprawled out on the couch, playing around on his phone. When Peter approached, he looked up and smiled, saying, "Hey, kid. Feel any better?"

"A lot better after the shower," Peter acknowledged. He hesitated for a moment before sitting down on the couch, next to Tony. Looking at the man next to him, the feeling of guilt in his belly became amplified.

"You alright, kid?" Amusement danced in Tony's eyes. "You're staring at me."

Unable to help himself, Peter blurted out, "Sorry."

Tony chuckled. "Hey, I know I'm handsome but…" he trailed off when he picked up on Peter's guilt ridden gaze. "But that's not what we're talking about. I think it's best we talk now before a certain spider gets himself tangled in an emotional web, hmm?"

Peter swallowed nervously but managed a small nod, staring down at his hands.

Tony sat up straighter and put his phone away, all signs of teasing forgotten. "You want to tell me what was going on with you last night?"

Peter shrugged, biting his lip.

"That's not an answer, Peter. What possessed you to get drunk?" Tony prompted firmly.

"I was just having fun… I didn't mean to get drunk, I just had a couple but then I got distracted and then I let Liz get me a drink and… and… I didn't mean to get tipsy!"

"But you did, Pete. You did get tipsy. In fact, you went beyond tipsy. Parkour in front of all your friends? Really? That's dangerous, kid. You could have fallen and seriously hurt yourself if you'd fallen from a height while drunk, all because you weren't in control. Not only that, someone could have figured out your identity while you were hanging from chandeliers upside down." Tony lectured, disapproval clear in his voice.

"It was just a bit of fun.." Peter insisted stubbornly. "And anyway, s'not like I'm the only fifteen year old who ever had a few drinks…."

"No, but you _are_ the only fifteen year old who's also a superhero." Tony raised an eyebrow disapprovingly at the excuse the teenager tried to give. "Don't try to convince me with an argument like that."

Peter looked down, slightly ashamed. "Sorry," he finally muttered. "Didn't mean to."

"I know, kid." Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You never mean to do any of these things. But the fact that you didn't mean to doesn't fix anything, does it? The fact that you didn't mean to wouldn't have saved you if you got into some big trouble and got arrested. The fact that you didn't mean to wouldn't have changed anything if you'd revealed your identity, or injured yourself doing acrobatics from a chandelier." Tony shook his head disapprovingly. "You made some bad choices last night, kid."

Peter stared at his knees, face burning at the lecture he was receiving. God, he had messed up so badly. What if he had actually revealed himself as Spider-Man? God knew what would've happened! Tony was right; he had acted like a complete idiot last night. Not knowing what to say, or if he should even say anything, he stayed silent. Guilt easily overrode any feelings of rebellion he had.

Tony saw the look on the teenager's face change, and he knew his lecture had gotten through to him. Clearing his throat to grab Peter's attention, he said, "Alright, kid. I think it's time."

Peter's eyes widened and he gulped. "Time?" he said weakly.

"Yeah, pal." Tony sighed, straightening up and fixing his posture before patting his knees. "C'mon, over."

Peter's lip wobbled as he looked up at Tony with sad, nervous eyes. "B-but Mr. Stark, I swear, I'll be g-good… I won't do it ever again…"

Tony offered him a reassuring smile. "I'm glad to hear that, pal, but you're still going over my knee to make the lesson sticks. Come on, don't make me ask again…"

Peter shook his head meekly, trying to scoot further away from the man he idolised. He really, _really_ hated being spanked. This wasn't fair. He'd learned his lesson! He decided to try again. "But… But Mr. Stark, _please…_ I swear I learned my lesson already! I'll be super good. I—"

He was cut off when Tony surprised him by reaching over decisively and catching his wrist before pulling him back towards him and down over his lap. Peter helped and whimpered, trying to squirm away. "N-no… I don't wanna spanking, Mr. Stark!"

Tony's lips curled up in amusement as he reached down to tug Peter's sweatpants to his just above his knees, making the teen renew his wriggling with vigour. "I dare say you don't, Pete, but it's happening. Hey, enough…" he scolded as Peter's hands shot back to half successfully pull his joggers back over his bottom.

"But… _no_!" Peter whined in response. He let out a surprised yip as Tony swatted his hand firmly, making him release the material, before tugging the sweats back down and using his left arm to tuck Peter in tight against his chest. Another, heavier swat landed over the top of his boxers, much to Peter's distress. This hurt _so_ much more than when he had his jeans on, he realized in dismay. "Oww!"

"We're only just getting started, pal, so try and settle down. Your choices were really dumb last night and they can't happen again. You know better," Tony told him before turning his attention to spanking in earnest.

Peter was yelping loudly from the start, wincing at every spank. "Oww!" he wailed when a flurry of hard smacks landed near his thighs. "M-Mr. Stark! W-Why'd you pull d-down m-m-my—"

"Your pants?" Tony finished for him, knowing what he was going to say. "Because, kid, this isn't the first time we've been in this position. This isn't the first spanking you've received from me for something you've done. That makes me think that I haven't been teaching you a lesson properly — if I did, I wouldn't be having to do this again, would I?"

"B-But—"

"Be thankful I've allowed you to keep a bit of your dignity and not pulled down your boxers as well, Mr. Parker," Tony interrupted sternly, a hint of warning in his tone. "But if this keeps reoccuring, I just might have to do that."

"Noooo!" Peter spluttered. "No! You d-don't!"

"Stay out of trouble, and I won't," Tony agreed grimly. "You deserve each and every swat I'm giving you, and don't you dare argue with me about that. Because, Peter, _drinking_? You seriously got drunk yesterday?"

"Didn't mean toooo!" Peter wailed, already feeling tears starting to sting at the back of his eyes.

"Yes, I'm aware," Tony responded dryly. "We've covered that. But it doesn't change the fact that you are only fifteen! There is no acceptable reason as to why you were drinking yesterday!" Swats punctuated his words

"D-Didn't mean t-tooo," Peter whimpered again. "Everyone was doin' it."

Tony rolled his eyes, because, seriously? "You and I both know that's not an acceptable excuse," he told the crying teenager sternly. "I am very, _very_ disappointed in you."

Peter started to cry at the announcement. Tony had never been _that_ disappointed with him before. He hid his face in the couch, wishing it would just swallow him up.

Tony felt a pang of guilt at how upset Peter seemed, but then remembered what he'd done and steeled himself to keep going. He'd make sure Peter felt it the rest of the day, despite his somewhat faster healing.

The room was silent awhile aside from the sound of each swat landing and Peter crying into the couch cushion. After a few minutes, Peter's hands came back to cover his bottom miserable as he wailed a heartfelt, "S-Sorry! I'm so-r-rry!"

"I sure hope so, kid. I also hope you move that hand right now before you get in more trouble…" Tony told him patiently, although there was a warning in his voice.

"I c-can't! Too sore!" Peter insisted.

"Move them, Peter." The warning became more obvious the second time.

Peter shook his head, clutching his cheeks with both hands. He squawked when Tony ripped him forward and started to spark his upper thighs hard until the glow they had peeked out beyond his boxers. The teen's hands shot out of their position covering his backside up. "Owww! You're m-mean! That w-was a dick m-move, Mr. S!" he accused through his tears.

" _Excuse_ me?" Tony asked incredulously, frowning down at the back of Peter's head. "What have I said about name calling when you're in trouble, young man?"

"N-not name c-callin'..." Peter wailed. "M-move was dick move… n-ever s-said you!"

Tony shook his head incredulously. God, the nerve of this kid… Deciding not to grace the kid with a response, he just brought his hand down firmly, eliciting a wail of distress from Peter.

"It hurtsssss!" Peter sobbed, feeling absolutely miserable. "S-Stop!"

"You don't tell me what to do, young man," Tony lectured, bringing his hand down firmly, even though it broke his heart to punish the kid like this. But he reminded himself that if he didn't do this, the kid would probably end up in a bad situation, or even dead. That would break too many people's hearts. So, steeling himself, he continued the punishment. "You certainly don't get to decide when the punishment stops either."

Peter just weeped, burying his head into his arms like he always did when he was in this position. All he could think about was the burning ache of his backside. Tony certainly wasn't going easy on him! Not that he ever did, Peter thought wryly.

"Peter."

Peter's head jerked in response.

"I asked you a question."

"S-Sorry, Mr. Stark," the teenager stammered out. "D-Didn't hear."

"That's alright." Tony was still swatting firmly, but now it was at a slower pace and the smacks were lighter, much to Peter's relief. "I asked you if you were ready to explain to me why what you did was wrong."

"Y-Yeah." Peter wiped the tears from his face with an arm, still crying. "'M ready."

"Great." Tony gave him a small pat on the small of his back, and though he kept spanking, they weren't as hard as before. "Go on, then, kid. I'm waiting."

With a shudder, Peter managed to say, "S-Sorry."

"I know, kid. You've already told me. And I have no doubt that you feel sorry, especially with such a hard spanking." Tony paused the spanking, deciding that the kid needed some leeway to be able to organize his thoughts and think of an appropriate, coherent response.

With the swats no longer raining down, Peter sniffled and managed to say what he wanted to. "M-My actions were w-wrong 'cause I was drinking… and I drank too much… 's illegal for me t-to drink… a-and almost revealed m-my identity and was r-r-rude to you lots too…" He hiccoughed, unable to speak as well as he wanted to through his tears. "S-Sorry. Was b-bad."

"No, you weren't bad," Tony felt the need to correct. "You were rude, yes, and you acted inappropriately, but you're not a bad person. You're a kind-hearted teenager who just made some pretty stupid choices yesterday, but that doesn't mean you're someone who's bad. Heck, kid, you're Spider-Man. That should be proof enough that you're one of the best in the world." Tony blinked, realizing how emotional he was being about this whole thing. God, the kid really did have him wrapped around his little finger, he thought ruefully. The great Tony Stark, showing emotion? No one would believe him even if he told them.

"O-Okay." Peter turned his head to the side, peering up at Tony with wide, teary eyes. "No more spanking?"

"Twelve more, kid, and then we're done." With that, Tony landed a dozen more spanks, knowing that it would enforce the lesson properly to the teenager.

Peter cried his way through them but managed to stay still and not try to pull away. He didn't think he'd ever been spanked so hard before, not even with the ruler, and his backside and thighs were on fire.

Tony rubbed his back for a few minutes, murmuring patient reassurance to him to bring an end to the worst of the tears. When he seemed calmer, Tony gently eased his boxers back up and stood him up, holding him steady when his legs wobbled precariously. "Alright, kid. All done with the spanking. You owe me some corner time, but then it's over and everything's forgiven."

Peter's face fell and fresh tears filled his eyes. "P-please no, Mr. Stark… th-that was the hardest s-s-spanking ever… I l-learned my lesson, I p-promise…"

Tony didn't think it was possible for a teenager to look so distraught and he almost changed his mind. Instead he forced himself to be firm, looking up at Peter with raised eyebrows. He could see Peter was too upset to find a corner himself and sighed, standing up with him and putting a reassuring hand on the small of his neck before steering him to a corner that he'd be able to see easily from across the room. "Stay here until I call you out," Tony instructed firmly before leaving the kid with his nose in the corner.

Peter sniffed and cried harder, utterly miserable. He'd thought that since it was such a hard spanking, Tony wouldn't get creative with other punishments. He just wanted Mr. Stark to not be disappointed in him anymore.

Tony played on his phone, letting Peter squirm for a few more minutes. At one point he looked up and noticed Peter palming his backside gingerly when he thought the older man wasn't looking. "Enough of that, pal. You did the crime, you can do the time."

Peter turned to look at him with the most spectacular pout Tony had ever seen. He raised an eyebrow at the kid, although it made him feel like crap to do so. "Two more minutes, so behave yourself."

Peter dropped his hands to his sides and kicked at the wall unhappily, turning back to the corner and sniffling loudly to make a point about how horrible he felt Tony was being. He was feeling sore and sorry for himself and wasn't afraid to show it in his vulnerable state of mind.

The next two minutes were some of the longest minutes of Tony's life, with the teenager swiping away his tears constantly and sniffling. Tony had to busy himself with his phone to make sure that he wouldn't pull the kid out of the corner earlier than he was supposed to.

Finally, the two minutes were up, and Tony called, "Okay, kid. You're done. C'mere."

Peter immediately shot out of the corner and barrelled into Tony.

"Oof!" Tony chuckled, putting a hand on the teenager's head and patting his back comfortingly. "It's okay. You're okay, it's all done." He felt a lot more comfortable than the first time they'd done this, and it seemed like Peter was far more comfortable as well.

"That really hurt, Mr. Stark," Peter sniffled with an accusing look. "Never do that again."

"I won't have to if you behave yourself," Tony responded with a fond shake of his head. "And you earned every one of those spanks." Peter still pouted, so Tony chuckled and said, "How does exploring a few of the floors now sound to you, kid?"

Peter's eyes lit up in excitement and he nodded frantically. "Yes!" he exclaimed. God, Ned was gonna be so jealous of him when he learned about this!

"Knew that would cheer you up." Tony ruffled Peter's hair and said, "C'mon, kid, let's start with the one above this floor. There are some cool cars that you'd probably love to see."

Peter immediately shot off towards the elevator, eager to see what Tony had described, leaving Tony chuckling as he strode forward to catch up to the teenager.


	6. Don't Drink and Swing

**Author's Note: Hey folks, sorry about the delay in posting! Been working two jobs ahead of moving to a new city so bit hectic and not been on my laptop much. I edited the formatting errors so hopefully it's easier to read now. More to come soon!**

It had been a pretty crappy day so far.

Peter had woken up on the wrong side of the bed. He'd accidentally smashed his alarm clock on the floor in his haste and annoyance to turn the annoying thing off. He fell asleep for ten more minutes before he woke up and realized that he was running late for school, so he had had to get ready quickly in the bathroom before running downstairs. May had left early for work, so he'd just grabbed an apple for breakfast before taking his bike to school. Then, he'd run over a nail while biking, so he'd had to get off the bicycle before running to school with his bike in hand. In the end, he had ended up late, and his first period class just happened to be the grumpiest teacher in the school, so he'd gotten yelled at in front of the entire class.

Now, school had finally ended, and Ned was bothering him about the school dance that was coming up soon, much to his annoyance. He wasn't planning to go to the dance; he'd much rather be out patrolling. Maybe he could even convince Tony to patrol with him on that day… after all, it wouldn't be the first time Iron Man was seen with Spider-Man.

Peter cut Ned off in his rant about the dance, saying that Tony Stark was waiting for him, which caused his friend to nod rapidly. Peter rolled his eyes as he grabbed his bike, pushing it down the road. Honestly, Ned acted as if Tony was some God or something. Knowing that getting his bike problem fixed with would allow him to move more quickly, he took it down to the shop down the road.

Unfortunately, as if things had needed to get worse, the shop owner was gone and returned half an hour later. The shop owner, Mark, told him that he was going on vacation tomorrow so he would be busy, but if he left his bike with him, he could fix it. So, left with no other choice, Peter was now walking down the street on his own two feet, the speed at which he was limited to absolutely killing him. If only he could swing around as Spider-Man, he would get to where Tony was waiting for him so much faster. But he knew Tony would disapprove. Besides, he had to admit, there wasn't a place where he could casually slip on his suit.

Peter ended up being an hour late to the Avengers Tower, where Tony had told him to meet him. With a sigh, he headed into the building, knowing that Tony couldn't be at all happy about his tardiness.

He was surprised to find out Tony wasn't there when he arrived. Instead, he found Happy waiting for him. "Sorry, kid, Mr. Stark got called away on business. He left a message that all got resources are readily available for your internship and he's hoping to be back when you come on Thursday."

Peter scowled. Of course Tony was now too busy for him. "Yeah, whatever," he grumbled. "I've got work to do…"

He worked for two hours on a project before deciding he'd had enough, sulking the entire way home. It wouldn't bother him except that this had happened a few times in the last few weeks and Pete was starting to feel like Tony didn't want to spend much time with him when he was interning.

When he got home he heated up some noodles and finished his homework, and then put the TV on to watch a movie. He fell asleep on the couch, dinner half eaten. May woke him when she got home to tell him to go to bed and sleep and swore she saw thunderclouds above his head as he said goodnight and disappeared into his room. She sighed wearily and followed suit.

It was another four days before Mr. Stark texted to say he was back and that he'd be at Avengers Tower after school to catch up with Peter. The teen was torn between giddy excitement and annoyance that it had taken the billionaire so long to return from his trip, leaving the teen overtired and overworked in his eyes.

Tony was waiting for him upstairs when he finally got there from school. "Hey, kid. Sorry I wasn't here Tuesday. How's your week been?" he asked, offering the teenage a bright smile.

"Fine," Peter mumbled, dropping his bag on the floor and sitting down on the couch with his phone in his hand.

Tony frowned, brows furrowing in slight concern and confusion. "You okay, kid?" The billionaire came over and sat down next to him on the couch, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Tired?"

"A bit." Peter kept his replies short. His annoyance directed towards Tony for being gone so long was taking over his mood, any trace of excitement disappearing. Inwardly, he knew he was being stupid, and that Tony Stark was a busy man. But still! He was always all up Peter's ass if he wasn't where he was supposed to be, or late, which seemed hypocritical to him.

"So, what have you done this week?" Tony asked, obviously trying to continue the conversation, ignoring Peter's childish behaviour.

"Nothing." Peter shrugged, pulling up his chat with Ned purposefully and texting him about random things related to school, pretending to busy himself.

"Peter," Tony sighed, sounding slightly exasperated.

"Yeah?" Peter finally looked up at the man, and when he saw how tired Tony looked, he felt a small pang of guilt. Tony wasn't there when you needed him, he thought, slightly resentfully, and all traces of guilt were gone. That day really had been a crappy day, and he had needed Tony to be there for him, to talk with him and relieve him from his stress and annoyance at practically everything.

"Peter, I'm speaking to you." Tony's voice was firm now. "Please put the phone down when we're having a conversation; you're using it too much."

Peter frowned at him. "What? I'm talking to Ned about school," he protested.

Tony raised an eyebrow, totally skeptical. "School, kid? Really?"

Peter rolled his eyes. "Why does no one ever listen to me?" he complained, shoving his phone in his pocket before looking at Tony in frustration. "There, happy now?"

"Actually, yes." Tony nodded, reaching out to tousle his hair and pretending not to notice when Peter tried to squirm away with a groan. "I missed hanging out with you on Tuesday. I'm sorry I wasn't here, kid. I got called away on business really last minute, I barely managed to tell Happy I wouldn't be here when you arrived…"

Peter shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

Tony sighed. "It does. C'mon kid, I'm sorry…"

Peter looked away in a mood, feeling a pang of guilt when Tony let out another soft sigh, looking bone tired, and rubbed at his face. "Are you going to ignore me all afternoon?"

"I'm not ignoring you!" Peter crouched in another display of teenage angst.

Tony barely managed not to roll his eyes. "Could've fooled me, Pete," he responded quietly, getting up to make a coffee and grab Peter a soda. Peter expected his mentor to pull him up for his attitude for being too rude or sassy. Instead, Tony brought the drink over to Peter and sat down on the couch again. "So, you wanna do something?" he asked, hoping Peter would say yes.

Peter frowned and shrugged. "Got a lot of homework."

"You're gonna work on homework, then?" Tony was a little surprised that the teenager actually wanted to do his schoolwork. Usually, he complained and Tony had to drag him to a table to get him to work. "Is school busy lately?"

"Yeah. Got really busy while you've been gone." Peter put a bit of emphasis on the last bit of his sentence. "Gotta work."

"Alright, kid. You do that." Tony leaned back and watched the teenager pull out his physics textbook, shuffling a few papers around on the table in front of him. "Let me know if you need any help."

"Won't need any."

Tony blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?"

Peter frowned up at him. "Won't need any help," he repeated slowly.

Tony furrowed his brows. "Peter."

"What?" Peter protested, looking back down at his worksheets. "'M not being rude! 'S just the truth!"

Tony decided to let it go, knowing that as much as he felt the kid deserved it, he couldn't necessarily spank him for something like this. Sure, he had been a bit rude, but still, he didn't want to overreact over nothing.

He gave the kid space to do his homework, relieved when he managed to coax a smile out Peter after plying him with pizza.

They ate pizza without much trouble, Peter having easily whizzed through his homework, which Tony was glad for. That meant that Peter was focusing on his schoolwork, so his grades would hopefully go up.

The time for Peter to head back home came. The teenager left quickly without his usual complaints that he hadn't gotten to explore the Tower enough, which oddly bothered Tony. It seemed as if the teenager was really upset.

This sort of behaviour occurred continuously over the next few days. Peter was purposefully breaking curfew, Tony knew. Every night when the time for Peter's curfew neared, Tony would ask Friday where the kid was, and was met with the answer that he was not yet home. However, the teenager always returned home within a few minutes, so Tony figured that he had just gotten caught up being Spider-Man on the streets.

It was the third night now since Peter's childish attitude that he still had, and Tony wondered if there was even a need to ask Friday where the teenager was. He knew by now that Peter wouldn't head home for another five minutes. So, he waited a few more minutes before asking, "Friday, is Peter home yet?"

"I'm afraid not, Sir," the AI replied. "It seems as if he is still far from his house."

Tony frowned, slightly concerned and disapproving at the same time. "Where is he, Friday?"

"Mr. Parker is on the swings at a park fifteen minutes away from his house, Sir. It does not seem like he will be heading back home anytime soon."

Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair, wondering what to do next.

"Sir, might I suggest that you try calling him? Mr. Parker is not making any move to head back home, judging from his conversation with Karen. As a matter of fact, he is planning to ignore his curfew and stay out for another hour."

Tony let out a groan of exasperation, wondering why the hell the kid had to misbehave like this. He was going to give both his aunt and Tony grey hairs if this kept going on! "Thanks, Friday," he finally said, reaching out to call the teenager. "I'll give him a call now."

"You are very welcome, Sir."

Tony punched Peter's number in on speed dial and waited for the kid to answer, starting to grow worried when Pete didn't answer. He wasn't sure if something had happened to the kid or if he was intentionally ignoring the call. He sighed. "Friday? Could you check with Karen if he's ignoring his phone?"

"Karen informs me that his battery has died, Sir," Friday informed him a few minutes later.

"Well, could you patch me through on Karen's server?" he requested next. "Thanks, Friday."

The AI soon had Tony calling through the server and Tony was frustrated to find that the kid didn't answer again. Still, he could hardly ream him out for not answering. He was going to have to get to the bottom of what had gotten him so upset. Surely this wasn't all because of an unexpected business trip? He left a voicemail asking Peter to give him a call or send a message to let him know he was okay as soon as he could, then hung up.

Tony frowned at his phone. "Friday, keep an eye on him. I want to know if he moves and if his vitals change."

"Of course, Sir. Karen is keeping me informed of his condition," Friday assured him.

"Thanks," Tony acknowledged wearily, sinking down into a seat at his desk to try and focus on the report he was writing. He'd been called on a sudden trip to meetings about the Sokovia accords ahead of some important decisions and hadn't been able to skip them. This report would be key in the planned meeting where decisions would hopefully be made, but now all he could think about was whether the kid was okay. The thing was, technically it wasn't his curfew yet and for all he knew, May had given the teen an extended curfew for some reason or other this evening.

He managed to focus on his work for another half hour before glancing at his watch and frowning in concern. "Friday? Please tell me you forgot to mention Peter's home safely," he asked his AI, trying not to let concern colour his tone.

"I'm afraid not, Sir. Mr. Parker is not yet home. It appears he is now moving though."

Before Tony could respond, the AI spoke again. "Mr. Stark, Peter is trying to contact you."

"Put him through."

It was only a few seconds before Peter's voice sounded. "Mr. Stark! Hi! I'm sorry, I missed your calls! I'm on my way home, I just got caught up…" Peter told him, obviously moving quickly.

"Where are you, kid?" Tony asked with concern.

"I'm two blocks from my place. I know I'll be a few minutes late but it's only a few minutes…" Peter continued to ramble.

"You can't keep doing this, kid. Your aunt gave you a curfew for a reason, and I understand that sometimes you can't avoid being a little bit late, but you need to try harder to stick to the curfew your aunt has given you. Your aunt worries about you when you don't stick to the rules she's given you or don't show up at home when you're supposed to," Tony scolded the teen firmly.

"Yeah, I know, I know."

Tony sighed. "Please don't worry your aunt," he said sternly. Or me, he added silently.

"I won't, I'm sorry about missing curfew." Peter sounded apologetic, which Tony was glad for, because he really didn't have the patience to argue with the kid about something like his curfew. "'M home now, I promise."

"Alright, kid." Tony let out a puff of air. "Get some sleep."

"Night, Mr. Stark."

The call ended, and Tony turned his attention to the stack of papers on his desk that he had to sign and take care of. Letting out a groan, he wondered if this was how Peter felt when he told him to do his schoolwork. God, paperwork was such a pain.

For the next two days, Peter's behaviour was perfect. He wasn't too late heading back home in the night from patrolling. He was only two or three minutes late, and Tony didn't see that as much of a problem. He himself easily lost track of time! But otherwise, except for the little things, Peter was fairly well-behaved, much to Tony's relief.

In fact, when Peter came over to the Tower to help with something, and to do his schoolwork, they didn't encounter any big problems. The only little argument they had was about Peter's slightly disrespectful tone towards Tony, but the argument was left unresolved when Peter got a call from Happy, the man telling him that he needed to get his ass down to the third floor to take a look at something.

Unfortunately, the issue had taken a longer time than expected, and Tony had had to text the kid to tell him he was free to leave whenever he was done with his work. Except for an 'okay' as a response, he hadn't heard back from Peter yet, and it had been two days since that incident.

The teenager was probably still slightly upset, Tony mused as he poured a cup of coffee for himself on a nice Saturday evening. He still hadn't exactly figured out why he was so upset, but he knew straightforwardly asking Peter wouldn't get him the answers he wanted either.

Meanwhile, Peter continued to stew, becoming increasingly resentful each time Tony let something slide. First the "business trip" and now him being Mr. laidback and uncaring? It wasn't cool and it wasn't the Mr. Stark who Peter had grown close to this past year. He'd tried all sorts of things to try and get his attention and nothing had worked. Peter wracked his brains for ideas, eventually coming up with a golden plan. The only downside was that he didn't know how to pull it off.

It took another full day to plan and execute his idea, but the following evening he went into a local store and purchased a four pack of beer. He knew he didn't look old enough to buy booze, but he managed to use his ID card for Stark Industries to stem any questions. He knew Tony would kill him if he ever found out but he doubted the billionaire would notice the actions of a fifteen year old. After all, he'd barely noticed him this week.

The reminder strengthened his resolve and Peter soon found himself sat on a fire escape dressed in his spider-suit, sipping on a can of beer. Sure, he probably shouldn't do that before patrol but nobody would ever know. He'd convinced Karen not to tell under the explanation that he was conducting an experiment with Mr. Stark, who would back him up if necessary.

He made it through two cans, deciding to stop now while he was still in control and just feeling a happy buzz, then set off for patrol. He could have a third to celebrate his success when he got home later. Aunt May would be home late anyway.

He saved a cat from a tree, stopped a dog from being run over, halted a bike robbery and managed to stop three men from a nighttime bank heist without anyone being hurt. By the time he'd finished stopped the latter criminals he had a happy buzz and was ready for something bigger.

He pulled out another can of beer, feeling a flash of satisfaction as it entered his mouth and made its way down his throat. This would show Mr. Stark that he could do what he wanted — if he even noticed. Peter rolled his eyes in irritation at the thought, but was quickly surprised when he felt his head pound in protest at the action. The happy buzz he had been feeling before was quickly strengthening, but he still raised the can to his lips.

Just when he was about to take another gulp, Karen suddenly announced, "Incoming call from Tony Stark." Before Peter could protest, Tony appeared, expression none-too-happy.

"Mr. Parker, I'm sure you have a moment to talk—"

"It's not curfew yet," Peter muttered, setting the can of beer aside. "I'll head home now, though, I've got some—"

"Cut the crap, kid." Tony's voice was harsh, clearly upset with Peter. "I know you've been drinking."

"How?" Peter gaped, then shook his head, pushing away all thoughts of curiosity. "Nevermind; it's not like you care much anyway." He muttered the last part — or at least, he had thought that he did, but when he saw Tony's eyes flash, he knew the man had heard.

"I beg your pardon?" Tony said sharply. "I think the fact that I'm calling you right now to give you a proper lecture about inappropriate behaviour shows how much I care. I think you've forgotten how much keeping the suit is a privilege, Mr. Parker. I'm not obliged to give you that suit."

Peter glared, clenching his fists. "You can't take it away!" he growled. "Even if you do, I'll still patrol in my old suit."

Tony glared right back at him. "Kid, you might not like it, but I can stop you if I want to. Without your web fluid, there is no Spider-Man to patrol, and since you're not stealing anymore, you can't do much of that without web fluids. I can't believe you would be so damned irresponsible as to drink on patrol!"

"Whatever," Peter shot back. "Karen, end call."

"Override, Karen. Peter Parker, you can't just run away every time you dislike something I say," Tony informed him grimly.

"What? Karen, what are you doing? You're my AI!" Peter insisted mutinously.

"Nice try, Mr. Parker. I made her, I get the overall say. Now, patrol is finished so get your scrawny ass home," Tony shot back. "You have fifteen minutes to get home before I escort you there myself."

"Like you'd bother leaving your plush penthouse," Peter growled. "Leave me alone."

"No. I took you under my wing and I damn well won't just leave you alone now. Look, I don't know what's gotten into you but it stops now. You have totally abused your power tonight and that is completely unacceptable! You don't deserve to have the suit if you don't abide by the morals you're meant to be defending."

Peter flinched at his words pulling off his mask to escape Tony's sharp words and clear disappointment. He retrieved his backpack from around the corner and pulled his own clothes out then shoved the suit in. He didn't need Mr. Stark anyway. The man had barely paid attention to him lately and had hardly noticed him and now he even said he didn't deserve the suit when Peter was always busting his butt to fight crime?

Peter was embarrassed to brush away angry tears but soon was ready to go. He scaled down the fire escape and walked home, arriving just before curfew. He barely said two words to May, claiming to be exhausted, and went to bed, tossing and turning until he eventually fell into an uneasy sleep full of unhappy dreams about his argument with Mr. Stark.

The next day at school he kept his head down, answering questions out loud in class and keeping out of trouble. Tony's words about him not deserving the suit had affected him more than he cared to admit and he was feeling a little shaken by the whole thing. Did Mr. Stark really think so little of him?

A text from Tony came in just after lunch, but Peter didn't reply, worried he'd say something he couldn't take back. Peter? Hi kid. I was worried about you last night and I spoke sharply. We really need to talk, okay?

Another came an hour later. Come on, kid. Please get back to me. We can talk when you get here today about things.

Peter groaned, finally replying. He couldn't face seeing Mr. Stark to be told how much of a disappointment he was again. Sorry, can't make it today. Told Aunt May I'd meet her after school. Technically it was true; they were meeting for dinner tonight as he felt like he'd hardly seen her lately and she always made him feel better.

Alright, kid. Just come over to the Tower whenever you're free or feel like it.

A part of him knew that he was being unreasonable. He was probably causing Mr. Stark more stress than he needed. Peter bit his lip, feeling a little guilty, but he knew he had really pushed Tony this time — maybe so much to the point where he would give up on him. Tony wouldn't do that, would he? Peter knew he couldn't avoid the billionaire forever, but he just didn't want to think about it right now. He pocketed his phone and focused on the worksheets in front of him.

Dinner with May was relatively okay, at least until she brought up why he seemed so glum.

With a sigh, Peter admitted that he had had a little fall out with Tony, and that he didn't really want to see him at the moment. Biting his lip anxiously, he looked for her reaction and wasn't surprised to see her frowning, half in concern, half in sternness.

"You weren't disrespectful to that man, were you?"

"Of course not, Aunt May!" Peter said quickly, forcing a hint of affront into his tone to make it more believable. He winced as he remembered how disrespectful he had actually been, but there was no way in hell he was admitting that to his aunt.

"You're gonna have to go back sooner or later."

May's voice jerked him out of his thoughts, causing Peter to hastily nod. "Yeah, I know." He spooned a mouthful of rice into his mouth to have an excuse to think for a bit before speaking his next words. "I just don't know when."

"I think you should go back tomorrow." She sounded nonchalant, but Peter knew her well enough to see how concerned she was about this whole topic. "If a little argument like this has you so upset, then it's obvious that you care a lot about it. Go back tomorrow, see that Tony Stark, and talk to him. I know he genuinely cares about you, Peter."

Peter frowned, and slowly nodded. Her words did make sense, and he knew that the longer he waited, the higher chance there was of him doing something stupid. "Okay," he said thoughtfully. "I'll go back tomorrow."

That was how Peter found himself swinging over to the Avengers Tower in his Spider-Man suit, because his goddamned bike still had to be fixed and walking took too much work. When he landed in front of the entrance of the Tower, no one came to greet him, and he realized this was the first time he had actually arrived without being called over by Tony first. Tony had always been waiting outside for him. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the building.

It was quiet inside, so Peter bit his lip before calling softly, "Hey, Friday?"

"Hello, Mr. Parker." The AI responded quickly, sounding pleasantly surprised. "How are you doing today?"

"Not too bad," Peter replied. I feel like I'm going to collapse any time soon from nerves, but other than that, I'm fine, he thought to himself wryly. "Where is Mr. Stark?"

"Sir is on the forty-fifth floor, working on a new project, Mr. Parker. Would you like me to alert him that you are here?"

"Um, no, it's okay, Friday." Peter stepped hesitantly towards the elevator. "Mr. Stark will be okay with it if I just take the elevator up to where he is, right?"

"He did not tell me anything that should contradict or go against that idea, so I would presume so, Mr. Parker."

"Thank you, Friday," Peter said gratefully.

"You're welcome, Mr. Parker. He's in the lab across from the elevator," Friday informed him before he had to ask.

Peter offered her another heartfelt thank you and made his way towards the lab. Part of him was tempted to get "lost" on the floor to avoid Tony but he knew that the AI had told him where Mr. Stark was so he had to go and find him. The teen groaned; even the AI was against him, he thought grudgingly.

It didn't take long to find Tony tinkering in the lab. Peter hovered for a long moment, biting his lip, but eventually steeled himself and knocked lightly on the door.

Tony looked up, blinking in surprise before smiling at him. "Peter, hey. I'm glad you came by. Give me a minute to shut this off…"

It took him a couple of moments but then he turned his full attention on Peter, making the teen's stomach flutter nervously. "Uh… hi," he stammered awkwardly, wringing his hands.

Tony closed the distance between them, gesturing towards a couple of nearby armchairs placed beside a small coffee table across out in the hall. He didn't wait for Peter to follow, trusting the kid to fall into step with him. "So, you came back."

Peter shrugged as he took his seat. "Aunt May asked me to." He couldn't bring himself to admit he'd been miserable since arguing with Mr. Stark.

"I'm glad she did," Tony acknowledged as he took the seat across from Peter. "The truth is, we need to talk."

Peter glanced up at him in concern, hoping his eyes weren't as wide as they felt. "Talk?" he parroted slowly. "Are you firing me?"

Tony frowned and shook his head. "What? No, kid. I'm not firing you. I told you I was a little sharp last night and I mean that, Peter. You're a great young man, and I'm proud watching you grow further and become a hero. That said, your behaviour last night was far from acceptable. Drinking on patrol, Peter? Are you kidding me? That was so dumb I don't even have a word for it. If someone had gotten hurt as a result you'd never have been able to forgive yourself. What do you have to say for yourself?" he scolded, keen to get to the bottom of whatever the hell had caused Peter's latest misbehaviour.

Peter slumped back in his seat, trying not to cry. Tony was right, he had been acting stupidly, and the older man's words were making him feel extremely guilty. Trying not to show his misery, he muttered, "Wasn't my fault."

"I'm sorry, did you just say it wasn't your fault?" Tony's eyes flashed. "Because I do recall, Mr. Parker, that no one forced you to behave as you have done for the past few days. There are consequences for your actions, and clearly, you need a reminder of that."

Peter swallowed hard, keeping his eyes focused on Tony's knees in order to not make eye contact. When Tony didn't say anything, he just said slowly, "Did you want to talk to me to yell and s-spank me?"

Tony sighed heavily, seeming weary. "No, kid, I didn't. We really do need to talk — an honest, face-to-face talk, not one with my hand coming down on your spider butt."

"Oh." Peter flushed, a little embarrassed. "Well, I just thought—"

"That I'd spank you for behaving so recklessly?" Tony snorted when Peter ducked his head. "Oh, Peter Parker, I am. I am going to spank you very, very hard until you realize just how stupidly you were behaving. But before that, we need to talk, because I know there's more than just wanting to rebel like the teenager you are behind your actions."

"Okay." Peter frowned stubbornly, not saying anything else.

Tony sighed. "C'mon, kid, work with me. I'm not a mind reader; tell me what's been going on in that head of yours for the past few days."

Peter just stared at him silently, unsure of how to even begin without sounding like a bratty little five year old. God, he was fifteen!

"Alright, kid." Tony pursed his lips. "You'll tell me sooner or later, I'm sure. If you're not going to say anything, we might as well get this spanking over with."

Peter's gaze found Tony's and he shook his head defiantly. "No."

"Excuse me?" Tony asked incredulously.

"No," Peter repeated as if Tony was slow. "You're not spanking me unless someone spanks you for being a jerk."

Tony had to count to ten under his breath to keep from throttling the kid. "Peter. What I said and your outrageous, childish behaviour are very different things. Drinking on patrol is not behaviour worthy of a superhero. The fact you think it is is honestly concerning. I know something else is going on but damn it, if you won't talk to me then as far as I'm concerned this conversation is done. Up you get," the billionaire ordered, crooking a finger at the teen.

Peter scowled at him. "That's bullshit!"

"I gave you a choice. You ignored it. Actually no, you didn't. You refused to accept my olive branch, and there are consequences for being a brat. Come. Here." Tony pointed at the spot at him. "And don't say no again or I'll stop giving you chances and make this spanking really suck for you."

"It's already gonna suck," Peter grumbled sullenly. He huffed as he stood and closed the short distance between them. "But whatever, just get it over with so you can go back to your project…"

It took all Tony's restraint not to roll his eyes. He waited until Peter was within reach before grasping his wrist and giving a tug to get him over his knee.

Peter let out a loud, "Oof!" as he landed before letting out a stream of creative curses that made Tony's eyebrows shoot towards his hairline. Where the hell had a good kid like Peter learned words like that? Peter was a smart boy and his vocabulary was way more advanced than that. He opted for silence as he started to spank Peter hard and fast, hoping to get his attention before he started talking to the boy.

It seemed like he was certainly getting Peter's attention, because the teenager was yelping with each heavy swat that he brought down. However, it seemed as if Peter was also willing to push through and remain silent — or rather, as silent as he could in a situation like this — because he didn't protest like he usually did. And that was slightly disconcerting, but Tony decided not to pay too much attention to it. The kid was probably just being stubborn.

When Peter started flinching at every swat or two, Tony decided to talk. He knew the teenager was paying attention; he couldn't not be paying attention with the hard smacks raining down. "So, kid," he said nonchalantly, "you think drinking when you're on patrol is a smart move? Not that you should even be drinking in the first place."

Peter just hung his head, not responding. A few whimpers escaped when Tony occasionally moved down to spank his sit-spots, but other than that, he wasn't replying to anything Tony said.

"You can't wait out this spanking, Peter," Tony said with a note of disapproval in his tone. "Between my arm and your butt, I think we both know which is gonna last longer."

Peter finally let out a word for the first time since the spanking had officially started, but it certainly didn't help his situation. "Shit," the teenager whimpered.

"Yeah, it hurts, doesn't it?" Tony pursed his lips when the teenager didn't reply. He lifted his knee and began to aim his spanks at the soft undercurve where he knew it would hurt the most.

It seemed to work, because Peter let out a loud yelp and cried out, "Yes! Ow, s-stop!"

"Nope. You don't get to tell me when to stop." Tony's tone was grim. "It's certainly not my fault that we're in this position right now — again." He frowned when he heard Peter mumble something, and gave him an extra hard spank. "What was that?"

"Nothing."

Tony snorted and rolled his eyes. "Uh-huh," he said, clearly not believing him. He aimed the next few spanks at Peter's thighs, sternly lecturing, "You do not lie to me, do you understand?"

"O-Ow!" Peter howled. "M-Mr. Stark!"

"So, I'll ask you again, Mr. Parker." Tony punctuated his words with spanks to make sure he got the point across. "What. Did. You. Say?"

"OWWW!" Peter wailed, clenching his fists and squirming. "I s-said, 'It is your f-fault!'" He collapsed, crying miserable, pitiful tears. "'M sorry, I d-didn't mean it!"

Tony sighed wearily, finally letting up on the spanks. "Yes, you did," he said softly, shaking his head. "Why else would you say it?" He paused, allowing Peter a small break as he thought for a few moments before jumping back into the spanking, much to the teenager's dismay. "Does that have anything to do with your behaviour recently?"

"N-No!" The answer was quick, perhaps a little too quick.

Tony sighed to himself and landed a single harder spank before lightening his force again. "Peter, what did I just say about lying to me?"

"Owwww! N-not to…" Peter wailed.

Tony nodded grimly. "That's right. Consider this your last warning kid. Lie to me again and there will be consequences that you really don't like."

"Already d-don't like y-you…" the teenager muttered childishly.

Tony couldn't help but smile sadly at the childlike admission. "I'm sorry to hear that, kid. Can you tell me why? I can't make it better if you don't talk to me."

"N-no…" Peter shook his head miserably and tried to wipe away his tears. He felt stupid for being so upset with Tony but couldn't seem to get a hold of his emotions. "S-sorry…"

"I know, buddy. It's not easy. You know something? When I first joined the Avengers, I ended up fighting with Steve almost daily because I wouldn't tell him what I was thinking or why I felt threatened by him. I figured he'd judge me, the great Tony Stark, for having insecurities like everyone else, but he didn't. He understood. He respected me and those feelings and when he knew, he could work at not pushing my buttons so much or making me feel like an outcast," Tony told the kid softly, slowing the spanks he was dishing out so Peter could get his breath back. He found that Peter stayed more focused if he was still swatting him, but he didn't want to overwhelm him while they talked.

Peter whimpered, crying softly and slumping a little over his lap. He drew a deep breath before managing to choke out a dismayed, "Y-you… too b-busy… n-no time f-for me, didn't c-c-care…."

Tony strained to make sense of his words, temporarily bewildered. What on Earth was the kid talking about? He wracked his brains trying to come up with an explanation for Peter feeling that way. Eventually, it came to him and he almost let out a curse of his own. "You were pretty upset that I wasn't here for your internship last week, huh? Especially since I'd said I would be there."

Peter just sobbed in reply, but Tony could hear the pure misery in the teenager's cries.

"Oh, Peter." Tony sighed, pausing the spanking as he looked down at the teen. Everything finally seemed to make sense. "I understand."

"Noooo, you don'tttt," Peter whimpered, hanging his head.

"I do," Tony said firmly. "And I'm sorry for making you feel that way, Peter. That was never my intention."

"You left," Peter sniffled.

"I know." Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I was called to handle some business at the last minute. I never realized how upset you would be."

"Sorry." Peter rubbed at his face pitifully. "Jus' stupid feelings."

"They're not stupid, they're valid," Tony corrected firmly. "You're allowed to feel that way. I should have known better. I should have texted you and known how you would feel."

"Not your fault." Peter sniffled, shuddering a little. "We done? No more spanking?"

Tony sighed at the question. "Wish we could stop it right here, kid, but I'm afraid we can't." He shook his head, raising his arm despite it feeling tired. "Because no matter what, kid, you should know better than to resort to destructive manners to control your feelings." He brought his hand down, causing Peter to wail. "It's okay to feel this way; it's okay to want me to be there with you. That's understandable. But when you act in such a way where it can actually harm you? That's what's not right, kid."

"N-Not destructiveee!" the teenager sobbed. "P-Please, Mr. Stark! S-Sorry!"

"For?" Tony raised an eyebrow even while knowing Peter wasn't able to see him.

"Everythingggg." Peter collapsed, going limp and crying hard. "F-For bein' rude a lot, for drinking, f-for not tellin' you!"

Tony nodded in approval. "Right. You don't drink on patrol. I already told you very clearly that you aren't to drink until you're legal. Which brings me to another thing… using your Stark ID to purchase alcohol?! Seriously, Peter? That is totally unacceptable. I won't stand for you abusing the privileges I give you for this internship. Don't try that again or I'll take it off you and you'll need me to let you into and out of the building like a child needing to be watched. Most importantly though, the lesson I really, really want you to learn, is that I care about you very much. If you ever feel the way you feel right now again, I want you to come and talk to me. Nothing is too small or stupid, kid, I promise."

Peter cried harder, managing a week, relieved nod. "P-p-promise? Really p-promise?"

"I really promise, little spider," Tony assured him. "But that also means I'll spank you even harder than this if you drink on patrol again."

"N-never! I I-promise!" Peter wailed miserably.

Tony landed another dozen spanks to his sit spots before stopping and giving his bottom a reassuring pat. "All done, little spider. All forgiven, I'm not mad anymore. We're okay, shhh…"

Tony wasn't big on comfort or physical affection but when Peter's tears didn't taper off, he carefully scooped the teen up and into his arms, wrapping his arms around him protectively. He didn't speak, letting Peter soak up the comfort he was offering, even if it took a full afternoon for him to calm down.

Peter clung to him for longer than he usually did, but Tony didn't mind or blame him for doing so. They both needed this, he knew. Especially Peter. The teenager had been upset for days! Tony had to push back the overwhelming sense of guilt that he felt; he knew it wasn't his fault he'd had to leave, but still. If he could change what had happened, he definitely would. At least, he wouldn't have left so abruptly without warning.

He supposed he just hadn't realized how much Peter needed him. The kid's actions were understandable though, he mused. He had lost his uncle; it was clear he needed a father figure in his life. Tony felt a little queasy at the thought of being a role model, because the whole entire world knew that he was damn well not the best role model.

"M-Mr. Stark?"

Tony looked down at Peter, who looked absolutely pitiful as he meekly looked up at Tony with those puppy eyes of his.

"What're you thinking 'bout?"

Tony blinked. "What?"

"You have that look on your face." Peter sniffled, rubbing at his tear-stained cheeks with a hand. "Like you're trying to figure out a puzzle."

"Oh," Tony said. He hadn't realized he had been letting his emotions show so much. Usually, he managed to control his facial expressions. Ignoring the obvious look of curiosity on Peter's face, he commented, "I hope you really do know that I care about you, kid."

Thankfully, Peter didn't question him, instead settling for a meek nod.

Tony shook his head. "I'm serious, kid," he said, not caring that he had been comforting the teenager for longer than usual. "If I didn't care, you wouldn't even be getting spanked in the first place. And I'm going to make sure not to leave last minute as much as possible, kid."

"It's okay if you do." Peter ducked his head, looking a bit bashful and embarrassed. "I'm not like, a little kid or anything. And, you're a busy person. I wouldn't wanna—"

Tony rolled his eyes, not even bothering to hide it. "Oh, c'mon, kid, don't say that. Besides, skipping a few meetings every once in a while won't hurt. I'm definitely not complaining about that."

Peter squirmed a little and Tony let him go, realizing that the kid probably wanted some space now that he wasn't crying. Tony was surprised when Peter stood in front of him awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck before speaking. "I, uh, 'm really sorry about what happened, Mr. Stark."

"I know, kid," Tony didn't hesitate to reply. "But it's all over now." He paused for a moment before opening his arms again, and was surprised when Peter eagerly sank into his embrace. Huh. The kid really had needed a father figure.

Tony wasn't sure how good of a role model he could be for the teenager, but he knew he would try his best. Judging from how Peter responded to him, he seemed to be doing something right. And it definitely felt right too. He had no doubt they'd have their fair share of fallouts and his hand hurting most days, but he was convinced it would be worth it, if only to see the kid looking so content and safe curled up against him.


	7. Stick to the Plan

Author's Note: Hey guys! Amazingly managed to post sooner for once ha. Enjoy the little bit of drama in this chapter and top secret news... Steve is on his way! But it's our secret ;)

It had been nearly two months since Peter and Tony had had their heart to heart, and Peter's behaviour seemed to have improved drastically following this admission. Tony had made a marked effort to be around more and also to keep the teen in the loop if he did need to go away, staying in touch and making sure the kid stuck to the rules they used.

Overall, things were great as far as Peter was concerned. Tony was like a mix between a Dad, cool uncle and older brother. He'd taught the teen how to do loads of cool stuff and had even promised to teach him how to drive when he turned 16, provided Aunt May agreed. He could be pretty strict when Peter screwed up, which really sucked, but Peter believed it really was just because he cared about him. Caring about him made Tony protective though, and Peter was _finally_ learning to try and listen to him and do things safely and not just take risks for nothing.

That was why, when Tony asked him to come on a mission with the remaining Avengers, Peter was delighted. Another mission? Together? Awesome! It was rare for him to go on a big mission but he had a go-bag stashed under his bed in the vain hope Mr. Stark would need his help.

It would have been better if it was the entire group of Avengers, in Peter's opinion, merely because that would have been so much cooler (and he would have felt like an Avenger), but what could he do? Half of the team were now fugitives, after all. At least it was with Natasha and Rhodey, Peter figured. Tony had told him that Natasha had settled things with the government, even though she'd helped Steve and Bucky escape, as she had signed the Accords in the first place. Rhodey and Vision were also always available to go on missions, but it had been decided that this time, Vision would stay back at base just in case. Having War Machine, Iron Man, Black Widow, and Spider-Man handle the mission was more than enough, Peter had been told, much to his delight.

He was also shocked to learn that his mentor had called the school and told them he was being taken to a conference with Stark Industries and would be missing a week of class. This was _awesome_! Even Aunt May had given the nod of approval, on one condition: Peter took the work he was missing with him to do as homework so he didn't fall behind again. Peter wasn't sure what was worse, the fact she'd made the request, or the fact Mr. Stark had already collected the work from the school office _before_ she asked.

Peter wanted to pout and complain, but he'd been so overwhelmed with excitement that he'd let that one slide. It was now two days later and they were putting final plans in place to stop a terrorist cell who had managed to get their hands on foreign materials and were making weapons of mass destruction with them. Mr. Stark thought the technology was from the attack on New York when Peter had just been a kid.

At the moment, Tony was lecturing Peter about making sure to get his work done, which Peter didn't appreciate so much. "Thankfully it's a not a busy time during the school year, so you're not missing too much, but we both know what'll happen if you don't finish it, right, kid?" The raised eyebrow clearly made his point.

Peter nodded, barely listening to Tony as he rummaged through his bag, trying to find his earphones for his phone. Tony placed a hand on his arm, making him stop in the process of digging through his bag. "Yeah, Mr. Stark, I get it." Peter sighed, finally making eye contact with Tony. "Get all my work done, don't forget about how important school is. I understand."

Tony gave him a look for his slightly unnecessarily impudent tone, saying, "Me taking you on this mission is a privilege, kid, keep that in mind."

"Of course, Mr. Stark." Peter was more genuine this time, nodding quickly, knowing that it really was a privilege. Tony could've chosen not to take him, after all. He felt a bright flash of excitement and he grinned at the older man. "I'll make you proud, Mr. Stark. Promise." And he meant it, because no matter what, he really was going to make Tony proud.

Tony nodded wearily, running a hand through his hair. Pulling out a pair of sunglasses and placing them on his face, he said, "Alright, kid, I know you will. Just don't do anything stupid, _please._ For both of our sakes."

"Me, stupid?" Peter echoed nonchalantly, successfully managing to pull out his earphones. "Of course not, Mr. Stark!"

"You're going to do exactly as I say." Tony pointed at him sternly. "No doing anything unnecessary."

"I won't," Peter promised, plugging his earphones into his phone. "I'm Spider-Man, Mr. Stark! I can handle this!"

"I know you can," Tony said levelly, shooting another look at Peter. "That's exactly why I'm talking to you about this and taking you on this mission in the first place. You follow all the orders I give you, you understand me? May will kill me if you're not back home in one piece."

"Yeah, okay." Peter sighed. "I'm not a little kid, Mr. Stark. I know what I'm doing, I know what this mission is about. I'm just there to get a bit of experience and work alongside you, like you said."

"Good." Tony let out a breath he had clearly been holding, as if he had been waiting for an argument from Peter. "Don't do anything I would do, and definitely don't do anything I wouldn't do. There's a little grey area, and that's where you operate. Alright?"

"Yes, Mr. Stark, Sir, of course, Sir!" Peter said cheekily, causing Tony to roll his eyes.

"Don't make me regret this, kid."

True to his word, Peter knuckled down to his work and got the majority of it done before their scheduled attack on the terrorist base.

As they suited up, Tony turned to Peter. "Alright, kid, remember… follow the plan. No heroics. Wait for the signal to go in."

"I know, I know… we don't have to talk about this again," Peter insisted, swinging up and out so they could get on with the mission and not go over the rules _again._ Really, Mr. Stark was such a mother hen sometimes!

Tony watched him go as he sighed, feeling frustrated. He had a bad feeling about this. Why had he thought it a good idea to bring the teen with him? Peter was always keen to prove himself and it usually ended in tears and argument. He shook his head and followed the kid, waiting for the others to move on motorbikes over the rough terrain.

They arrived at the cell's base not long after, with Nat leading the op to try and secure a "deal" so they could infiltrate and get to the head of the group. Peter was to stay back and swing in later to web individuals up and reduce firepower. Tony would destroy their weapons and Rhodey planned to target their tires so they couldn't flee.

Peter stayed back, just as Tony had told him to a million times, watching at a close distance. He really hadn't been planning on doing anything stupid — he knew that Mr. Stark would _not_ be impressed. At all. But watching the terrorists linger outside, he knew that if he didn't jump in now, he would never get the chance to do it later.

So, leaning forward a little, he whispered, "Hey, Karen. What are the chances of me getting caught by those bad guys if I go down?"

"Judging from the distance, the chance of you getting caught is highly possible."

"Right." Peter huffed; of course it wouldn't be that easy. "Bet it was Mr. Stark, somehow finding a way to put me in the spot where he knows I wouldn't be able to do much."

"You are correct."

Peter inhaled. "I'm sorry, what?" he asked sharply.

"Sir is extremely protective of you," Karen told him easily. "It does not surprise me that he plans to keep you out of this as much as possible."

Peter let out a small groan. "I'm not a little kid!" he huffed indignantly. "I could even handle this myself." Rolling his eyes, he said, "Hey, Karen. What else can you tell me about Mr. Stark's plans?" He wouldn't put it past the man to plan something else without telling him to keep him out of harm's way.

"Would you like me to confirm your question with Sir?"

"No! No, God, no." Peter shook his head rapidly. "I'm okay, thank you, Karen." He noticed that one of the men had come closer to him, and a thought hit him. Really, it didn't sound that bad — he was close to this man; it would make sense for him to take him out, right? And besides, he could probably web up the other guys too before any of them noticed. With a grin, he aimed and shot at the man, effectively wrapping him up before swinging towards the others.

Everything was going to plan, and he was feeling smug. He'd managed to web a few guys up, even putting a few down for a nap until they could be rounded up by his teammates. The trouble with his plan going so well was that Tony, Nat and Rhodey hadn't yet noticed what he was up too and he'd grown complacent in his success.

He failed to notice a canvas covered truck appear from his far right and was taken by surprise when a bullet scraped his arm and ripped his suit, leaving a deep gash in its wake and causing him to fall to the ground. "Ahh! Oww! Jeez, this is new!" he complained, grimacing at the fiery sensation in his bicep. The suit stuck to him uncomfortably and it took a moment for him to recognise the warm, sticky sensation of blood oozing from his arm in a steady stream. Ugh, Mr. Stark was gonna kill him.

Peter forced himself up, blinking against the glare of the sun, and tried to focus on the convoy making its way towards him. He lifted his arm to shoot his webs, letting out a yelp and dropping it again before raising his good arm. He managed to stop the truck with his webs, but was unable to slow the dozen guards that ran at him at once. With both hands he could have but his right arm was throbbing.

Across the plain they were in, Tony gave the signal for Natasha to move in, oblivious to what Peter was up to out of their line of sight. Friday broke his concentration a moment later, sounding surprisingly worried. "Sir, Karen has informed me that Mr. Parker's heart rate has spiked dramatically in the last minute."

"It's probably adrenaline, this his first mission…" Tony reminded the AI absent mindedly.

The eye roll was practically visible in Friday's tone. "Well yes, it is. However, Sir, the adrenaline is not excitement. Mr. Parker has been shot by members of the cell group and is now amidst them unable to use both hands."

"What the hell? Where is he?" Tony barked, jetting from his location to scan the surrounding area and try to determine shade areas where Peter could be obscured from view.

"My diagnosis shows that…"

Tony tuned the AI out, already having blasted off towards the location she rattled out. Cursing the kid, he urged himself to go faster. God knew what was happening to the teen. "I am going to kick that kid's ass when I get him back," he muttered to himself, feeling a flash of relief when he saw that he was nearing the location.

He finally reached a high vantage point and increased his acceleration. He managed to ask Friday to inform Rhodey and Nat what was going on, then turned his attention to the convoy van driving into what looked like some sort of fortified hideout in a rocky outcrop across the plain. For a moment, his skin tingled and he felt an all too familiar fear make his heart beat a little faster. This base looked similar to the place he'd been taken after the car bombing years before. Shit. He hoped they weren't about to do similar to his protege. If it weren't for his suit, he would've rubbed his face with his hands. Instead, he ordered Friday to scan for Peter before blasting off.

Peter winced when the guards roughly grabbed him by the arms, pressing on his injury as they dragged him from the van and shoved him onto his knees. "Ow!" he complained. "C'mon, guys, seriously? No need to be so—"

"Shut up," one of the guards snarled, hitting his shoulder with the back of his gun. "Or I'll shoot you."

Peter tried to hide his flinch, clenching his fists. Instead, he scoffed, "You wouldn't even be able to lift your gun before I—"

"Not when you're like this." The guard gestured towards Peter, who strained against the grip of the guards who were holding him firmly.

"And not without these." Another guard ripped off his web shooters, dropping them on the ground and crushing them with his feet. "Take his mask off."

"No, wait—" Peter yelped, struggling to break free, but the mask was easily ripped off of his head, leaving him gasping in slightly desperation.

"Oh, what? Seriously? He's just a kid." The guard who had hit him with the butt of his gun rolled his eyes. "Well, that makes things easier for us."

Peter felt a flash of indignance and he opened his mouth to let the threats spill, but before he could, the guard slapped his face with a scoff. "You shut the hell up, kid," he snarled, "and wait patiently like a good little child." He punched Peter again for good measure.

Peter spat blood from his mouth, wanting to throw up at the metallic taste now in his mouth. He was sure he was going to have a black eye after this, and holy crap, he was still bleeding. Well, things had definitely not gone as planned.

Tony was going to kill him. Then May was going to bring him back from the dead and kill him again. Of course, he would have to lie to her and say that he'd just gotten into a fight since she couldn't know that he was Spider-Man, but he knew that wouldn't make Tony look good. Especially since the man was supposed to be supervising him. It wasn't his fault, though, Peter thought wearily. This was his own fault; if Peter hadn't done this, this entire thing would've been over already.

"Hey, kid, did you hear me?" A hand roughly shook his shoulder, causing him to blink rapidly as he tried to regain his senses. "I told you to get the hell up." When Peter just stared at him — because did this guy seriously think that Peter would actually obey? — he rolled his eyes and snapped at the other guards, "Tie him up. We'll take him; he might be handy to use."

Peter's heart started racing again when two guards easily yanked him up, wrenching his arms behind him. He struggled, desperate to get away, but he knew that he certainly didn't have the upper hand in his current situation. Not when he was injured and up against twelve massive guards without his web shooters.

Tony had been searching this Godforsaken compound for an entrance for hours. He hated this. He hated that Peter was stuck in there, no doubt hurt and aching and confused. Even now, the billionaire could see the pained confusion in his eyes and the way he'd trip over his words and no doubt make this situation worse for himself.

Letting out a growl, Iron Man turned on his heel and jetting back to his teammates. "Damn it! I got nothing. That place would be locked up like that even if a bomb hit it. How did they even manage to get him anyway?" He ranted with worry thick in his voice. His hazel eyes took on a dark glint as he continued to say every single thing he was thinking. "I swear to God, if they hurt him I will kill every one of those sons of bitches. Slowly and painfully. I—"

Tony was cut off by a message from Friday. "Uh, Sir? Incoming call."

"Not now, Friday. We need to get Peter back," the billionaire ground out.

Rhodey interrupted this time. "Hey, Tony, I think you'll want to see it…"

Tony turned back to glare at him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Rhodey pointed at the iPad in his hand, face grim. "This," he said simply, holding it out.

Tony accepted it with dread, his chest tightening painfully when he was the video feed with Peter being beaten up. By the time he'd watched and heard the message from the cell's ringleader, the iPad screen was cracked from how hard he'd be squeezing it. "We're going in for the kid."

Peter groaned as he heard the door to the room he was being held in being opened, the hinges of the lock creaking in protest. He seemed to be in some kind of old mining facility from what he'd seen, although that hadn't been much. His head had either been covered or he'd been being punched or slapped. Thankfully they hadn't resorted to hardcore torture techniques because of his age, but this whole experience had been terrifying for the fifteen-year-old. Please, God, not another round. The blood on his lip was still drying from a slap that had been hard enough to leave his ears ringing and him biting his lip to keep from yelling. He knew his spidey senses would heal his injuries faster than most, but it still hurt right now.

"Please, not yet. I need water…" he pleaded wearily.

"Relax, Pete, you're safe," a familiar voice whispered as quick hands started to get him out of his bindings. "I'll get you water. Do you think you can walk yourself?"

Peter creaked his eyes open with difficulty, surprised and relieved enough to cry when he spotted Rhodey. They'd come for him. He hadn't thought they'd be able to find him. He stood on shaky feet and managed to walk but he was painfully slow, exhausted from the stress of the past few hours. He didn't even manage a protest as he was slung over War Machine's shoulder until they got out. "I'll get you water as soon as we're out of here, okay? We gotta move fast."

"Where's Tony?" he asked when they were safely out of captivity.

"He had a job to finish," Rhodey explained, glancing out the window of their jeep in time to see the compound going up in flames, an explosion from within rocking it to its core; the minute it took before Iron Man flew out and away at top speed made Peter's heart hammer in his chest.

He surprised Rhodey by laying his head on the older man's shoulder wearily and blinking away tears, barely even managing to say hi or thanks to Natasha who was driving. He managed to accept a bottle of water from Rhodey but didn't manage to drink much. He just wanted to stay here and not think or do anything for as long as he could. The drive back to the safety of their base was silent.

Peter knew he was in for it.

Currently, he was lying in bed, injuries attended to. Thankfully, they weren't too bad, although he would have a few bruises and cuts here and there. It wasn't his injuries that were worrying him, though. It was Tony, and how much trouble he was in.

When they had arrived to their base, Peter had allowed his injuries to be taken care of, too tired to argue that he was fine. Then, he had promptly fallen asleep for the next two days, only stumbling out of bed occasionally to use the bathroom and get some food and water. Tony hadn't complained that he had been doing so. In fact, he had explicitly insisted that Peter was to rest for as long as he needed to.

Peter stared up at the ceiling, snuggling under the covers, feeling warm and cozy. Friday had informed him that Tony was to arrive in the room he was resting in in approximately five minutes to check up on him and to 'have a quick talk.'

Peter was not in the mood to be lectured.

Or spanked.

The next few minutes went by much faster than he had wanted it to. There was a sharp knock at his door, so Peter quietly called out, "Come in."

The door opened and Tony stepped in, a slightly concerned expression on his face. He had brought a glass of ice water, which Peter appreciated. His throat felt parched.

"Hey, kid. You doing okay?" Tony raised an eyebrow when Peter sat up with a wince. The man handed the teenager the glass, to which Peter mumbled a 'thank you.'

Peter took sips of the water, closing his eyes for a moment at how good it felt to quench his thirst. "Yeah, 'm okay," he mumbled when he finished the glass of water and placed it on the nightstand. "Doesn't hurt or anything."

"Good." Tony sat down on the bed, careful not to sit on Peter. After regarding Peter silently for a few moments, he said, "That means we can start our long overdue discussion."

Peter blanched. "Our … discussion?" he echoed weakly, clenching the covers with sweaty hands nervously.

Tony gave a short nod. "Our discussion." He raised an eyebrow. "And you can start it by explaining to me exactly what happened and what you were thinking."

Peter's gaze dropped to the covers and he picked at the seam silently as he considered his next words. If he admitted he'd ignored the plan, Tony would be furious, but Karen and Friday had probably already told him so direct lying wasn't a possibility. "You saw, those guys attacked me and shot me…"

"Yeah, they did. But _how_?" Tony asked in obvious confusion. "Weren't your spidey senses tingling?"

Peter bit his lip. "You saw how many there were, right? My spidey senses went crazy but there were too many all at once and one of them shot me!"

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you call for backup?"

"I thought Karen was smart enough to ask for help for me…" Peter mumbled awkwardly.

"Hey, no, don't blame her. You telling me that if I ask her, she won't tell me you asked her _not_ to contact me?" The older hero asked knowingly. He was starting to piece together what had happened and if he was right, the kid was in for it.

Peter felt his face heat up uncomfortably and he looked away, gaze wandering over the room he'd been staying in at the SHIELD base they were currently at. It was large and plush, unlike the hospitals he and May were used to using before Peter met Tony. His uncle had died in a room much smaller and with much less privacy and now, Peter mused with dread, he was about to die in a much larger room. "Not exactly…"

Peter swore he heard Tony growl lowly in disbelief. "Not exactly? What the hell does that mean?"

"I might have asked her about me jumping in early and then told her not to ask you for permission…" Peter mumbled into the covers, face flushing when he heard Tony's deep intake of breath.

Tony was quiet for a full minute and when he did speak it was with deliberate calm. "You're telling me that you ignored very clear orders and as a result ended up shot, taken hostage and tortured?"

Peter gulped when Tony's eyes met his with a slow, deep rage in them. "Uh… I, um…"

"Peter." It was only one word but it said a thousand things all at once.

Peter looked around the room, desperate for an escape. Butterflies fluttered in his tummy and he was starting to feel sick all over again. "M-Mr. St-Stark, I don't feel so good…" he stammered, starting to get pale with nerves.

Toby snorted and shot him a grim look. "Oh yeah, I bet you don't. You know, kid, I think this is the dumbest thing you've done all year. I mean, _really_ , what the hell were you thinking? We had a good plan in place and we had that plan in place for good reason. These guys are seasoned killers, and you went in without backup or any hint to us of what you were doing."

Peter blushed and kept his gaze down. "I'm sorry… I just.. I… I was trying to help!"

"You would have helped if you'd stuck to the plan, kid," Tony pointed out in frustration.

"I… I thought Karen would be able to tell you guys if things got really bad," Peter tried weakly.

" _If things got really bad?_ " Tony's tone turned murderous. "What, so being taken hostage and having the shit beat out of you wasn't 'really bad?'"

"N-No, I never said it wasn't—"

"I don't want to hear it," Tony interrupted sharply, standing up and pacing the room, seeming agitated. "I don't want to hear your usual excuses."

Peter looked down, clenching the sheets in his fists, trying not to cry. He hated it when Mr. Stark got so upset at him! "'M sorry," he said hoarsely, voice cracking at the end. "I just… I thought I could handle it."

"Well, you clearly weren't able to!" Tony shot back, crossing his arms and glowering at him. "Kid, if there's one rule in missions like this, it's _stick to the plan_ , which _you_ didn't do." He held up a hand when Peter opened his mouth to try to justify his actions yet again. "No, I told you, kid, I don't want to hear it. I'm talking, you're listening."

Peter mutely nodded, and Tony continued speaking.

"Honestly, kid, I don't even know if I should trust you enough to take you on a mission again."

Peter flinched at that, feeling hurt. "Mr. Stark, please," he said weakly. "I can… you can trust me, I swear!"

"Your actions have proved otherwise." Tony regarded him for a few moments.

Peter swallowed back guilty tears. He'd never meant to make Tony not trust him anymore. He'd just wanted to prove he was as skilled as the Avengers. "I really am sorry, Mr Stark," he whispered eventually, head dropping down in shame.

Silence stretched out between them for an eternity as Tony debated what to do before Peter surprised him by starting to get up and unhook the wires attached to him. "What the hell are you doing, kid?" He asked in confusion.

"Getting my stuff so I can get the next flight home. I don't deserve to be here…" Peter told him in a small voice as he wobbled on still tired legs.

"Oh no," Tony countered. "You deserve to be here, you just damn well won't get away with insubordination like that. I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again. First, you're going to get your scrawny butt back in that bed."

Peter stared at him with wide eyes, mind obviously clicking through his options uncertainly.

Tony held his gaze, one eyebrow raised, and waited for Peter to realise that he'd inevitably end up having this conversation later anyway and it would be easier on them both to just get it over with.

As he expected, Peter grudgingly slid back into bed a minute later and Tony swore the teen was pouting. "Good choice," he acknowledged before continuing. "You know this was big, right? You knew it was wrong to deviate from the plan, that's why you told Karen not to tell me. We'll be discussing that later by the way, Karen," the billionaire added to the room at large.

"Of course, Mr Stark," the AI intoned immediately and Peter swore she sounded guilty. He looked at Tony in confusion.

Tony just smirked. "I already told you, kid, I made her and Friday. She knows she should have told me what team 'naughty little Spider' was up to. Now, as we were saying. You know this was serious, yes? I don't actually have to explain why this was a big black mark by your name?"

Peter lowered his gaze, feeling a little ashamed, and nodded. "Yeah," he admitted. "I know, Mr. Stark, I swear. It was — I really messed up, I know—"

"Damn well you did." Tony snorted, rubbing his face with a hand in exasperation. "I've already told you, kid, I don't really want to hear excuses."

"I just… please take me on missions in the future." Peter's voice cracked pitifully at the end as he looked up at Tony. He looked — and felt — extremely close to breaking down into sobs.

Tony stared at the kid, trying to figure out what to do. The kid was looking so goddamned crestfallen and meek and gosh, he really didn't want to tan his ass bright red, but he had to. He knew that if he didn't punish Peter, the teenager would get into even bigger trouble in the future — possibly ones that even Tony couldn't get him out of.

"M-Mr. Stark?" Peter bit his lip, still looking up at the man pathetically.

"Okay, kid. Here's how it's gonna go." Tony stood and placed his hands on his hips, shooting Peter a look to emphasize how serious he was.

Peter gulped but nodded seriously. He'd do anything to make this better.

Tony gave his own brusque nod before continuing. "You're going over my knee. This is serious and, even worse, we've talked about the unnecessary danger thing before, kid. Because of that, this isn't going to be like previous times. This time you're not gonna have protection when I make sure sitting in that bed for a few more days isn't comfortable." He held up his hand to stop Peter's stammered protests. "No, kid. No arguments. I'm not finished. You're also grounded from the suit. That means no patrolling in your old suit either. You obviously can't make smart choices in that suit right now, so maybe the time away will help your perspective."

Peter stared at him with wide, wet eyes. "B-but… Not my suit, Mr. Stark! Please!"

"No suit. Two weeks. If I feel you're not ready for the suit at the end of those two weeks, I'll extend it. I've already got the suit so no use trying to hide it. I'm serious about this, Peter, I'll be keeping an eye on things, so I'll know if you're patrolling on the fly and I won't be impressed. Is any of that not clear?" the older man asked sternly.

Peter shook his head mutely, dropping his gaze to the covers again and beginning to pick at the fabric.

"Alright then. I need to go and take care of something quickly, but I'll be back in ten. Don't do anything dumb in that time, kid, because it'll just add to the trouble you're in." With that, Tony stood and made his way out the door. The truth was, he needed to figure out what he planned to use; he'd told Peter it would be more than his hand but there wasn't anything handy to use in the room Peter was staying in.

He roamed the corridor of the wing Peter was staying in and rooted through the drawers of a desk in one of the offices on the block, muttering to himself about how useless SHIELD was.

Tony finally found what he was looking for — or at least what he could deem as acceptable — and pulled out a wooden hairbrush from one of the drawers in a bathroom. Inspecting it closely, he nodded to himself, satisfied. He knew this would surely teach the kid a good, proper lesson to make sure that he would never do something that stupid ever again. Tony was going to personally drill it into the kid's head.

He turned back around, ready to kick the kid's ass, when he bumped right into Natasha. Inhaling sharply, he rolled his eyes. "Why do you always have to sneak up on people like that? Jeez." He rubbed a hand over his face.

Natasha didn't respond to that, just letting her eyes flirt over to the hairbrush in Tony's hand. "You borrowing that?"

"Yeah, I am," Tony responded shamelessly, brushing past her. "It's for a good cause."

"I know."

Tony felt Natasha's gaze trained on him until he turned the corner, heading back to the room Peter was currently staying in.

He wasn't surprised to see the kid looking apprehensive, pinching the sheets with his fingers and shifting restlessly. When Tony stepped in and shut the door behind him, Peter's head snapped up warily. Tony had to stifle a slightly amused smile at the way Peter's eyes turned comically wide at what was in his hands.

"Hey, kid," he greeted, coming closer.

"M-Mr. Stark… I… we don't… you don't need that… that _thing_."

The fact that Peter couldn't even bring himself to say what it was — and what it was surely about to be used for — made Tony smile, unable to hold it back this time. "What, this?" Tony lifted the hairbrush.

Peter nodded, eyes still wide.

"Oh, Pete, I think we do need this. We really, really do." Tony sat down next to him on the edge of the bed, still firmly holding the brush.

"No, we—"

"What, so you're saying you don't deserve this?" Tony cut him off, raising an eyebrow challengingly. "You don't deserve to have your ass kicked for what you did?"

"I didn't—"

"You were taken, Peter, goddamned taken as a hostage." Tony's tone hardened as he stared at the kid, trying to knock some sense into his head. "You didn't stick to the plan, you promised to listen to me, which, by the way, you didn't, and you put yourself in danger _when you didn't need to_." Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a few deep breaths. This kid really was gonna be the death of him one day. "What would have happened if you had gotten even more injured, or even worse, killed? How do you think your aunt would have felt about that?"

"Bad," Peter whispered, lowering his eyes guiltily.

"There are always consequences for your action, Mr. Parker." Tony kept his eyes on the teenager. "And I know that sometimes you do things because you think it's the right thing to do, but you need to _think_ first. Being a superhero doesn't mean you can do whatever you want, disobeying orders and jumping into a fight without a plan or backup. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Peter nodded apologetically, cheeks slightly flushed. "I understand," he said softly. "'M sorry, Mr. Stark."

Tony nodded, patting his lap. "Alright then, kid. C'mere."

Peter gulped, internally debating, and let out a yelp when Tony took advantage of him being distracted and tugged on his wrist to get him moving. "Woah, Mr. Stark! Wait, I can do it…"

Tony thought about just hauling him over his knee but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Okay. You have thirty seconds before I do it for you."

Peter blanched a little but gave a shaky nod, staring at Tony for a small eternity before caving and crawling over his knee nervously.

"Good boy," Tony praised softly. He was relieved Peter was the way he was; he'd never have co-operated and behaved himself at the teenager's age. In fact, that had often been a bone of contention with Howard when he was younger. He sighed softly to himself and steeled himself for the meltdown he was going to witness in a few seconds, then he placed the brush on the bed and reached down to tug Peter's pyjama pants and boxers down to mid thigh.

As he expected, Peter started to squirm and try to sit up. "Please, Mr. S-Stark! Please don't!"

"I told you this was going to happen, kid. You've earned this for being so downright idiotic and nearly getting yourself killed. If I have to be the bad guy in order to keep you safe and alive then you better believe that that is _exactly_ what I'll do."

Peter made a sound somewhere between a whine and a huff but stilled and hung his head in defeat.

Tony waited another moment before tightening the hold he had around Peter's waist and bringing his palm down sharply. He didn't lead in slowly like he usually did, instead setting up a fast and furious pace to get Peter's attention and make sure the teen knew how badly he'd messed up. He didn't _enjoy_ being hard on the kid but when they'd nearly lost him out there… Tony's resolve strengthened further. No; he wasn't going to run the risk of that happening again.

"O-Ow!" Peter gasped, squirming right from the start, clenching his fists and writhing. "M-Mr. Stark! I-It… hurts…"

"Good. It's supposed to. That's the point of a spanking, kid." Tony rolled his eyes, still bringing his palm down quickly with a snap of his wrist to make it sting. "You put yourself in serious danger during our mission, and that's not acceptable. At. All." He punctuated his words with firm spanks, making Peter jerk forward.

"A-Ah!" Peter visibly winced. "I know i-it was b-bad—"

"Like hell it was!" Tony snapped, because the kid was _still arguing,_ and if he was still arguing, that meant that he hadn't properly grasped the severity of the situation yet.

"B-But — OW — it's… please, too fast!" Peter gasped, throwing a hand back to try to protect his bare bottom.

Tony snorted, pausing his spanks and pinning the kid's hand to the small of his back before continuing on with the punishment. "Too fast, huh?"

"Y-Yes!" Peter wailed, choking on a dry sob. "Y-You… start s-slower!"

"I know I do," Tony acknowledged sternly, but he did mercifully slow the speed of his spanks a bit when the teenager kept gasping, shoulders shaking as he tried to catch his breath. "But you've never done something so serious or stupid before, so I think you had this 'too fast' spanking coming."

Peter hung his head miserably, not arguing anymore, knowing it was futile. He knew he had been stupid, but he hadn't been completely incompetent during the mission! He could've handled it, he thought to himself slightly petulantly. He would've eventually found a way back to the base. If Mr. Stark hadn't been so overprotective, placing him in the safest place in the mission, he wouldn't have acted this way. So really, he had been stupid, but it wasn't completely his fault. Or at least, he didn't think so. He knew Mr. Stark would disagree with him, though, so he didn't dare voice his thoughts.

Tony spanked in silence for a while, waiting for the kid to blurt out whatever had him tense as a bowstring over the billionaire's lap. "Alright, Pete, spit it out."

"Wh-what?" Peter stammered out.

"Whatever's making that web head of yours work so hard," Tony elaborated.

Peter shook his head stubbornly. "N-nothing Mr. Stark…"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Uh-huh. Alright, suit yourself. Beware; I'm going to ask you questions later so you'll want to have thought about why you're being spanked and what choices would have been better."

Peter groaned but gave a small nod. He hated it the most when Tony did it this way.

Tony nodded and turned his full focus to warming up Peter's thighs for him, continuing until his rear end was radiating heat and a deep, dusky pink. He paused, resting a hand on Peter's thigh. "Alright, buddy. Tell me why we're here."

Peter just clenched his fists a little, making Tony wonder if he really had to spank _even more_ before they actually got started, but thankfully, the teenager spoke. "'Cause I didn't listen," he muttered, barely audible.

Tony snorted. "That's a little vague, I think. Why don't you elaborate for me?" He shifted his hand warningly.

"I was stupid and I disobeyed your orders during the mission," Peter huffed out. "And I didn't tell you what I was planning to do."

"Right," Tony agreed. "Pretty stupid on your part, because look where it got you." Tony landed another smack for emphasis, making the teenager jerk forward, caught off guard by the unexpected spank. "But that's not all, kid. There's much more than just disobeying me or doing something stupid. You've done that before, and you've been spanked for that before."

"I know," Peter said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, you know? Then tell me, Peter, what is it that's gotten me so angry this time, huh?" Tony let his hand fall again, landing another firm smack.

"I… disobeyed you?" Peter sounded a little more unsure this time, fidgeting on Tony's lap.

"Nope; like I said, you've done that before. More than once, actually." Tony rolled his eyes because, seriously? Trust the kid to not know what he had really done wrong.

"I, uh, I didn't want Karen to tell you what I was up to, I guess? I guess you think that's pretty bad, because—"

"Oh, so you don't think that's bad?" Tony gave him three hard smacks for that, causing Peter to splutter. "And that's still the wrong answer."

"I don't know, Mr. Stark!" Peter complained, voice strained and body tense. "'M sorry!"

Tony sighed. "You can't be sorry if you don't know what you've done wrong, kid. Your apology means nothing if that's the case."

Peter flinched at that, and had the decency to silently drop his head, ashamed.

"You unnecessarily put yourself in danger, kid," Tony told him, "when I clearly told you not to. You don't just jump into fights like that, especially if there's a plan that's already decided amongst other people."

"I just thought I'd be able to handle it," Peter said weakly, "and just take them down before anyone got hurt."

Tony let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, it clearly didn't work out the way you wanted to, because you were taken as hostage. And the fact that you thought that doesn't excuse your actions at all. I meant what I said before the mission, that it's a privilege for you to be taken along for missions."

That made Peter scowl at the mattress. He was good at what he did, why couldn't Mr. Stark see that? It wasn't fair that he was the only of them who didn't deserve to help save people! Peter felt resentment bubble up inside him but tried to quash it before he could say something stupid that made Mr. Stark even more mad.

Tony waited for him to speak. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself, Peter?"

"I.. I was just trying to help… I thought… You trained me and upgraded my suit and… I get it, I don't deserve to go on a mission with the Avengers again." Peter trailed off, blinking away tears but trying to put on a brave face.

Tony blinked in surprise at the softly spoken words. "Wait a minute. Wait. Peter, I didn't say you don't deserve to do anymore missions. You are a great asset to this team and you have the potential to be a real hero, kid. You have a lot to learn, and right now, with school and everything else, missions _are_ a privilege. That doesn't mean that what you did was okay, but let's make this clear; you are worthy of that suit, Peter. We just need to work on you fixing that stupid attitude of yours where you act first and apparently don't think at all."

Peter shuddered in a deep breath, reaching up to swipe at his eyes to brush tears away.

Tony sighed, pausing spanking long enough to pat the kid's back in reassurance. "Let's get to helping you sort that happy-go lucky attitude. Here's the deal, Mr. Parker. I'm going to use this brush to teach you a lesson and I seriously hope you learn from it because if we end up here again, I am going to make this seem like a walk in the park. Your life matters and I have no intention of letting you throw it away."

He waited a moment for that to sink in before picking up the brush, tightening his hold and bringing the brush down smartly on Peter's exposed buttocks. Peter had a delayed response, but after a few seconds he sucked in a huge breath before letting out a yelp and trying to push up off Tony's lap.

"Ah, ah, ah," Tony chided, bringing the brush down a little lower. "Cut that out, kid."

"Oww! But… h-hurts!" Peter protested in a small voice, clenching his cheeks before realising that would only make things worse.

"That's kind of the point, Pete. It would be pretty pointless if it didn't make you want to avoid it in future," Tony reminded him mildly. He landed three more sharp smacks with the brush, making the teenager cry out.

"O-Ow!" Peter yelped, flinching. "C'mon, Mr. S-Stark! I said I was s-s-sorry!"

"I know you did," Tony responded. "But we're not done yet. We still have things to discuss."

"Well, then, we can discuss it like normal h-human beings with both of us sitting on our butts!" Peter complained, flinching when Tony rubbed the wooden back of the brush on his cheeks.

"I think you're getting too sassy," Tony mused.

"Well, you're thinking wrong," Peter muttered, burying his head in his arms. Gosh, his butt was on fire! He was being spanked bare for the first time, not to mention with a hairbrush!

"I also think you still haven't told me what exactly is going on in that head of yours," Tony continued on swiftly, as if he hadn't heard Peter's mumbled comment. "So why don't you go ahead and tell me?"

"Don't want to," Peter growled back. He knew he was behaving childishly, but he knew that his thoughts were even more childish.

"Fine, have it your way." Tony brought the brush down, causing Peter to let out a sharp gasp. "It just means we'll be here longer. I've said this before, Pete, and I'll say it again — my arm is going to last longer than your spider butt will." With that, he began spanking in earnest, bringing the brush down firmly.

Peter's body was stiff, muscles tense as he tried to hold back his cries. Eventually, he couldn't help it and he burst into tears, the fire in his butt was being ignited more and more with each smack that Tony landed. "S-Stopppp!" he cried. "P-Please, Mr. St-Stark!"

"C'mon, spiderling," Tony said with a sigh, slowing down his smacks a bit. "I need to know what's going on in that head of yours, or I won't be able to help. You know that. You're a smart kid."

"N-Not a kidddd!" Peter sobbed, turning his head to the side as he cried heavily. "N-Not!" With a sob, he burst out, "I'm g-good. I'm as good as ev-everyone and y-you don't have to p-put me on the s-sidelines when we're on a m-mission! Not a kid!"

Tony heard his words and sighed softly to himself. Finally, they were getting somewhere. "Hey, little spider? You know I'm not sidelining you because I think you're not capable. You do, don't you?"

Peter's only response was to keep crying loudly, his body quaking with the force of them.

Tony paused the spanking, gently rubbing the crying teenager's back with his hand. "C'mon, little spider," he soothed. "I don't think you're incapable of holding your own when we're on a mission or out in a fight. Doesn't the fact that I even take you to these things in the first place mean that I think you're fully capable?"

Peter let out a choked sob, though his body was shaking less now that Tony was rubbing gently. "K-Karen said—" he stammered. "S-She said… I was… in t-the _safest place!_ " He began sobbing harder again, visibly getting upset. "S-So I couldn't… d-do _anything_!"

"Oh, little spider," Tony sighed, making a mental note to talk to Karen about what exactly she could tell the kid. "That doesn't mean I was sidelining you."

"Yes, it does!"

Tony watched the kid sob into his arms, wondering how exactly he could continue the punishment with the kid so distraught, and patted his back again, hoping it didn't come off as totally awkward. "Peter," he said gently, knowing that he had to say something. "I'm not going to deny that I put you in a place where the fight hopefully wouldn't get too bad, but that's not me sidelining you. That's me trying to protect you."

"I don't need p-p-protection!" Peter whimpered.

Tony shushed him, and continued speaking. "You're just a kid, Pete. You're fifteen; you're just a teenager. You shouldn't even be worrying about these sort of things with how old you are." He paused, trying to gauge Peter's reaction, before continuing. "Natasha, Rhodey, and I are much, much older than you. That means that we've faced much worse, and gone through things that are traumatizing and outright horrible. I never, ever want you to experience what we have." His voice broke a little at the end at the thought of what had happened to him in Afghanistan happening to Peter.

Peter sniffled, sobs slowing, and Tony knew he was getting through to the teenager.

"That's why sometimes I can come off as overprotective. It's not because I don't think you're good enough to fight in the most dangerous places, because you _are_. You're an important asset to the team when we go on missions; hell, I'm sure you could've even joined the Avengers if…" Tony paused, knowing that he was rambling, "if things hadn't turned out this way." It was a lame finish, but there was no other way to put it. He suddenly felt like throwing a pity party, because goddammit, the fact that Tony Stark was _not_ good at emotions was an understatement.

"N-Not your fault." Peter's voice was muffled, but Tony could make out what he'd said. Understanding it was a different matter.

"What was that, kid?"

"Not y-your fault," Peter repeated. "C-Cap's dumb."

Tony couldn't help but let out a snort, because trust Peter to attempt to comfort him while over his lap, getting his ass kicked. "Yeah, kid," he agreed. "He was pretty dumb."

"I… fought well in Germany?" Peter asked, suddenly sounding like an insecure little child.

"You were one of the best," Tony told him, because it was the truth. "Pretty sure we would've gotten our asses kicked if you weren't there. You have no idea how thankful I am that I got to you before Cap did, kid."

Peter let out a small laugh, sniffling and turning his head to face Tony. Tear tracks were visible on his cheeks, but he wasn't uncontrollably upset like he'd been before. "Thanks, Mr. S-Stark."

Tony inwardly groaned at how innocent the teenager looked, with teary, big puppy eyes. But, well, he didn't have a choice but to finish what had to be done. So, he lifted the brush, forcing himself to say, "You have ten more with the brush coming, kid. It's not because you weren't good enough. It's because you behaved rashly and inappropriately, unnecessarily putting yourself into danger. Do you understand that?"

Peter nodded, eyes filling up with tears. "Yeah," he whimpered. "S-Sorry."

Tony disregarded the apology for now, knowing he would be hearing more sooner or later when the brush would fall. "We're gonna do things a little differently now," he told him. "I want you to count each smack, but you're going to do it before I bring this brush down on your sorry ass. Got that?"

Peter nodded, biting his lip.

"I need to hear it, kid," Tony requested with a firmness he didn't feel in his tone.

"Y-yes…" the teen whispered miserably, sniffling and squirming nervously.

Tony nodded decisively before tapping the brush lightly against his backside as a gentle prompt. "Whenever you're ready, buddy."

Peter swallowed down the lump in his throat and sucked in a nervous breath. "Yes S-Sir, Mr. S-Stark… one."

Tony brought the brush down on his right cheek before letting it rest there for a moment.

"Oww!" Peter hissed, fresh tears spilling over. "T-Two…"

Another spank landed in a mirror image. Peter started to cry harder again. It took a while for them to make it as far as five, by which point the kid had gotten himself wound up again.

"N-no more! Too s-sore!" He insisted childishly, shaking his head when Tony prompted him to keep going.

"Peter…" Tony warned wearily. "We're not stopping till you do as you're told, so I suggest you quit being stubborn."

Peter whined and kicked his legs out but soon lay still again. "S-six… you s-suck…"

Tony rolled his eyes, landing a firmer smack to his mid sit spot.

Peter howled out a breath. "Sev… s-seven…"

Tony targeted the next two at his thighs. They managed to get through the last two with another few pauses and pleas from Peter, and eventually Tony was able to put the brush down and fix Peter's clothes for him. He rested one hand on Peter's lower back and patted soothingly. "All done, little spider. I forgive you."

Peter let out a sob of relief at Tony's words, going limp. He had thought all the previous spankings were bad; this one had been the worst! He had gotten spanked bare, and on top of that, with a brush!

"We're all done," Tony soothed again, patting his back gently once more. "You're okay."

"T-That hurt," Peter whimpered, trying to wipe away the tears in his eyes. "No m-more spankings now."

Tony snorted, helping Peter get up. "You behave and we won't need to have any more," he shot back, though not unkindly. "But we both know that you're not ever gonna stop getting into trouble," he added good-naturedly. He placed his hands on the kid's shoulders, looking at him closely to make sure that he really was okay. This spanking had been harder than usual.

Peter pouted. "It still hurt."

Tony fondly rolled his eyes and easily drew the teenager into a hug, surprising even himself with how natural it felt now. "Don't ever pull a stunt like that again," he said sternly. "God, Pete, you need to stop giving me grey hairs. You're going to be the death of me."

Peter whimpered and dropped his gaze guiltily. "Sorry…" he murmured, brushing away stray tears despite Tony's arms wrapped around him. He was tense for a moment before tentatively laying his head on Tony's shoulder.

Tony sighed, giving him a squeeze. "I know, kid. I know. Let's work on it a day at a time, hmm? But I'm serious about the dangerous stunts. Keep 'em up and I'm gonna bash your knucklehead brain in."

Peter managed to huff out a small laugh. "I won't, Mr. Stark. I promise I'll do better…"

Tony nodded and smiled. "I know, squirt. That's all I ask. You're gonna be okay, I believe that. However, you're still on bed rest so back under the covers."

Peter's face fell but he gave a jerky nod when Tony let go and hurried to obey. He really didn't want to risk receiving anymore discipline today.

Tony watched him go with an amused shake of his head. "Because you're gonna want to be sitting down when I kick your butt at cards and chess…"

Peter's head shot up and he gazed at Tony hopefully. "Really?" he asked in wary hope.

"Really," Tony assured him. "Give me a minute."

He returned to the hallway where he'd left the games and books he'd managed to track down, carrying them into Peter's room and putting them down on the table beside the bed.

Peter grinned at him excitedly and Tony couldn't help but return the eager smile. He let Peter choose a game — chess, unsurprisingly — and watched the teen set it up, wondering when this had become so… _normal._ Being a mentor and role model to the kid was exhausting, especially given his penchant for mischief, and Tony couldn't help but think back to Cap and all the patience he'd had when leading the Avengers. Where did the man get his energy from? When they'd started out, none of them had been hero material. Hell, if you asked him, they _still_ weren't hero material. And yet Cap had been the voice of reason, acting as the moral compass and Dad of the team, right from the beginning. Tony felt a pang of regret once more at the way things had gone down with the Accords. Now that he had Peter to look out for, he was starting to realise just how valuable a friend Steve really was.

He became vaguely aware of Pete staring at him in concern and offered the teen a sheepish smile. "Sorry, kid, I was a million miles away. You go first."

Peter didn't need to be told twice.

They were pretty evenly matched and over the next hour played a good game of chess that Tony eventually let Peter win because he could see how tired his spiderling was. They played card games that were less difficult for a while until Peter surprised Tony by dropping off to sleep, cards still loosely held in his hand. Tony laughed softly and snapped a photo to tease him with later, then quietly tidied up the games. He needed to go and make a few calls but then he'd come back and check if his troublesome webhead was going to be okay.


	8. Boys and their Toys

**Author's Note: Guys I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened with that formatting. Jeez. Anyway, should be fixed now and sorry about the wait! Next chapter will be up by the weekend and let's just say it should be worth the wait for a fan favourite appearing ;)**

It had been years since the incident of Peter jumping into the mission, disregarding the plan that had been set. Okay, maybe he was exaggerating a bit. It had been about a week, more or less, since the day he got spanked for that little event.

A week without his Spider-Man suit.

Peter was trying to behave, he really was! It was just hard when he began to feel the familiar itch of boredom, unable to go out patrolling like he usually did during the day and night. He hadn't thought Mr. Stark would actually take his suit away, but it seemed like he'd been underestimating the older man's promises — Tony's promises definitely were not empty.

Peter didn't even know where Tony kept his suit! Every time he came over to the Avengers building, he claimed that he was just 'exploring the tower a bit more,' when he really was actually trying to find his suit. He was pretty sure Mr. Stark knew what he was trying to do. Tony knew everything.

"Stop daydreaming, kid, and focus on your homework." Tony ruffled his hair, making Peter scowl and duck his head. "The faster you get it done, the more time you have to explore the tower." He raised an eyebrow at Peter.

Yep, he definitely knew.

"I'm working, I'm working," Peter grumbled, picking up his pencil again and continuing to solve the math problem he was currently working on. He could feel Tony watching what he was doing over his shoulder, ready to help if Peter needed it. Peter had to admit, with Tony's help for his schoolwork, he definitely understood and got things done faster.

Peter looked up when he saw Tony pouring the rest of his coffee into the drain in the sink, and frowned. He knew Mr. Stark loved coffee. "Uh, Mr. Stark? What're you doing?"

"Pouring coffee down the drain."

Peter rolled his eyes, and Tony cracked a small smile. "I'm just about to head out."

Peter raised his eyebrows in surprise. Tony rarely left the tower when he was over, unless it was an absolute emergency. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, kid, why wouldn't it be?" Tony dropped the mug into the dishwasher lazily, tapping a few things on the watch around his wrist. "Just going out for a quick fly-around. Heard that there was some chaos at the park just about fifteen minutes from here."

"Oh." Peter couldn't help the way his face fell in disappointment. If only he had his suit; then he'd have solved the problem already.

It had been obvious that Peter looked crestfallen with the way Tony pressed his lips tightly together, as if he were struggling to hide his emotions. He slowly drew closer to Peter and placed his hands on the teenager's shoulders, squeezing lightly. "Look, kid, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to rub it in your face or anything; it's such a habit, you know? And I know I sound like a complete ass to you, with how I've taken away your suit, but you just really need to learn your lesson. I can't have you endanger yourself like that again—"

"Yeah, I know." Peter gave a small smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Just, it's okay. Let me know what happened at the park."

Tony eyed him for a few moments before giving a small nod. "Yeah, kid, I will." He gave Peter's shoulders one last squeeze before stepping away. "Try to finish your homework so we can do something fun together, alright?"

"Yeah." Peter watched the billionaire leave, longing panging in his heart. He desperately wished he could go with Tony, but he knew that wasn't possible. Not when he didn't have his suit with him. He watched Tony fly away through the large glass window, and wondered if he should ask the man if it was possible to somehow upgrade his suit for some flying features as well. Goddammit, he really wanted his suit now!

But wait… it didn't have to necessarily be his suit, maybe just a suit. Just a quick run to relieve some of his pent up feelings. He stood up, chair scraping against the floor, and quickly made his way out of the kitchen where he'd been working.

God, he really shouldn't. Tony was going to kill him.

Peter debated for a while longer before the temptation got too strong. He was going crazy being cooped up like this, and it wasn't like he was going to join Tony or anything. He'd just have a quick fly around near the compound and then head back to the Tower and do his homework. No harm, no foul… right?

He made his way down towards the workshop where he knew Tony kept some of his Iron Man suits, looking at them all in turn until he found one that didn't look like it was used often. There, that would do. It wasn't like Mr. Stark needed it anyway, because he already had his suit on.

It took a few attempts before Peter managed to get into the suit, but eventually he was ready to go and the power was on. "Hey, Friday?" he called out softly. "I need some help with this suit. I'm not… I'm not gonna do anything dangerous, I just wanna get outside really quick."

"Mr. Stark would not approve of you taking the suit out without supervision, Mr. Parker," the AI pointed out to him.

Peter sighed. "I know, but… I'll be back soon, okay? Please don't call him, the city needs Iron Man just now. I promise I won't be long and I'll stay near the compound."

Before the AI could talk him out of it, Peter set off, letting out a yelp as the suit tilted precariously. He didn't think the window in the side of the tower would open but thankfully it did at the last moment. He yelled a grateful 'thank you' to Friday and set off on his short trip in the area around the tower.

Peter hovered a little at first, trying to figure out all the controls and understand the little things that kept popping up on the screen in front of him. Gosh, how did Mr. Stark do this? This was so complicated!

Soon enough, Peter found out how to turn, go up and down steadily, and even how to use the blasters. "Whoaaaa! This is awesome!" Peter gasped as he soared around the tower, though he made sure to keep an eye out for anyone who would see him.

Everything was going pretty fine until he caught sight of Happy through one of the windows. Cursing, he swerved abruptly to the left, trying to avoid being seen. He knew that if Happy saw him, the man would be able to connect the dots and tell Tony about his misbehaviour. "Shit!" he gasped when he heard a little beeping noise that indicated the exterior of the suit was a little damaged. "Shit, shit, shit."

He quickly flew back inside, managing to somehow get out of the suit once he landed, and immediately examined the suit. Peter sighed in relief; the damage didn't seem too severe, it really was just a few scratches on the outside. Still, Mr. Stark was gonna kill him.

This wasn't just Peter acting out, this was Peter ruining one of Tony's beloved suits. Everyone knew that no one was allowed to touch his suits without explicit permission. God, he'd messed up so bad. Peter groaned. Tony was probably going to find out what he'd done now. And of course, because Peter had amazing luck, he heard the sound of Tony returning back to the tower outside. God. As if things had to get worse.

Unsure of what to do next, he just quickly headed back to the kitchen table, where he'd been working on his schoolwork. Picking up his pencil, he pretended to be working hard on solving the problems.

Sure enough, after a few minutes, Tony walked inside, grimacing a little as he massaged his left shoulder.

Peter frowned when the man plopped down next to him heavily. "Mr. Stark, are you alright?"

Tony waved him off. "I'm fine, kid. I need a cup of coffee though. Make me one, will you?"

Peter stood up. "Uh, I don't know how—"

"Friday, teach the kid," Tony interrupted, rubbing at a small bruise on his cheek.

Peter began making the cup of coffee with Friday's help and guidance. "So… what happened at the park?" he asked, noticing Tony pulling his schoolwork towards him.

Instead of answering, the billionaire frowned and said, "You're on the same question you were on before I left."

"No, I'm not," Peter denied, then hesitated. "Alright, I am, but I worked on my E-English."

"You don't even have English homework, kid." Tony rolled his eyes, giving him a look.

Peter just gave him a sheepish grin, handing him the coffee and picking up the pencil to quickly rush through the rest of the problems.

Tony watched him work, sipping on the coffee gladly. The park incident had been tougher than he'd expected, but he'd shut the scene down with only a couple of bruises of his own. He'd been up against four guys, all of whom had weapons and seemed to be trying to take hostages, but in all honesty? Tony still had no idea what had triggered it all.

As he drank, he frowned in confusion. "So, what took you so long? Not like you to take long on your homework, buddy."

Peter grimaced and scrambled for an answer. Eventually he settled on honest, if not very detailed. "I was just thinking about how if I'd not been dumb and lost my suit I could've helped. Guess I just got carried away. I'm nearly done though, honest."

Tony nodded with a chuckle. "I know. You've already nearly finished. And I know losing your suit sucks but you've been pretty well behaved lately, Keep it up and you'll have it back in no time."

He let the kid focus on his Math problems in silence for a while, leaning back in his chair wearily. When he finished his coffee, he pushed back from the table and stood. "I'm gonna shower quickly, kid. Get those problems done and then we can do something fun, okay?"

Peter glanced up with a nod. "You got it."

Tony nodded with a smile, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder before shoving his mug in the dishwasher and heading through to the master suite to shower. At times like this he was especially glad to be both a billionaire and a genius because he had the best shower around. He swore it actually massaged his injuries while he was under the water. Then again, he had top of the range in all the rooms of his personal quarters, and indeed, most of the tower. He was still trying to convince Peter to let him revamp May's apartment so the two could be more comfortable, but so far? No dice.

On his way, he decided to check on his suit and Dummy to see how the repairs were going, glad to see that things seemed to be well in hand. On his way out the door, he noticed on of his older suits looking a little scratched and scraped. Weird, he didn't remember it being like that. He hadn't used the suit in a couple of years in all honesty and usually didn't pay it much attention so figured it must have been damage he'd never gotten round to fixing. He'd add that to his ever growing list of repairs and tweaks, he thought, as he headed to his suite.

Meanwhile, Peter worked studiously on his problems, speeding through them in record time despite the guilt churning in his stomach. Mr. Stark would be so mad if he told the truth but Friday would probably tell on him anyway. He groaned. Why had he had to damage the stupid suit?

He tidied his school books away, debating what to do. He didn't want to tell Mr. Stark what he'd done, but he knew it was the right thing to do. Tony was protective of his suits, and the teen knew it would really hurt his mentor's feelings if he kept it secret and got caught later on in a lie. It had taken him a while to build up Tony's trust again after some of the lies he'd told in the last year. He was determined not to ruin that.

He would tell Tony when he came out of the shower, Peter decided. He didn't want to risk Tony finding out later on. He knew that would only make things worse for himself.

Oh God, Tony was going to be so pissed. Peter was pretty sure the billionaire wouldn't have cared at all if he shattered a vase or something, but he was going to be soooo mad when he found out about the scratches he'd caused on the suit. Peter figured he was lucky that he'd been somewhat sensible and chosen an old suit, or he'd be over Tony's lap already.

Licking his dry lips, Peter asked, "Friday? Is Mr. Stark still in the shower?"

"He seems to have just finished and is now towelling off," the AI informed. "Would you like me to let him know that you are looking for him?"

"No, it's okay, Friday. Thank you." Peter ran his fingers through his hair, trying to calm his nerves. "Just… I dunno what to do, Friday." Then, a horrible, terrifying thought hit him. "Oh my god, Friday, you haven't told Mr. Stark yet, have you?" He knew the AI saw what he'd been doing; Friday saw everything that happened.

There was a small pause that made him sweat even more, and finally, Friday responded. "No, Peter, I haven't alerted Sir as to what you have gotten up to while he was at the park. He has not asked me any questions of the sort yet, but when he does, I'm afraid that I will have to answer him. Sir has programmed me to be completely honest with him." There was a small note of sympathy in Friday's tone.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks, Friday."

"What're you talking to Friday for, kid? I hope you're not trying to get her to finish all your homework." A freshly showered Tony appeared in the doorway.

"I'm done all my work," Peter protested. "Was just talking to her."

Tony smirked. "Okay, kid. Whatever you say." He turned around to drink yet another cup of coffee.

Peter gulped, nervously watching Tony's back. He finally mustered up the courage to stammer, "M-Mr. Stark?"

The man turned around with a questioning look. "Yeah, kid? You want a cup too?"

Peter shook his head mutely with a small smile. "No thank you. I just, uh, have something to t-tell you."

Tony seemed suspicious, but he just slowly nodded. "Go on."

"Uh, um…" Peter gulped, voice cracking nervously, because holy crap, he was so dead. "I just wanted to say t-thank you for everything, like bringing me to the tower and helping me with everything," he stammered so quickly that he wondered if Tony had even understood what he'd said. God, he'd chickened out.

Tony's eyebrows shot up. "Uh, you're welcome, kid," he said, looking a little puzzled. "It's nothing." He patted Peter on the back, saying, "Let's get all this sappy stuff done with and make some popcorn for the movie."

Peter nodded, cheeks flushing with embarrassment and busied himself so Tony wouldn't notice the guilt in his posture. He was such an idiot, why hadn't he just come clean already?

He knew Friday had already helped him out hugely by not announcing his dumbass stunt and was just as sure that Tony would soon ask and he'd be found out. He sighed, eventually slinking towards the living room with cans of soda and root beer for them both, though he doubted Tony would drink anything other than coffee. The man was addicted to the stuff.

Tony followed a few minutes later with a selection of snacks, including popcorn and pop tarts and Peter's favourite ice cream. The teen watched as the mountain of food was dropped on the coffee table and felt his stomach drop to his toes. He knew Tony would be mad but he had to come clean.

As he debated, Tony looked over at him with an eye roll. "You gonna stand there all night or you gonna get comfy?" He asked in amusement as he set up the food. One of the coolest things about Tony's place at the tower was that thanks to Friday, they didn't need remotes or DVD players.

Peter started to walk towards the couch before stopping and turning to Tony wide eyed. "Mr. S-Stark?"

"Yeah, Pete?" Tony answered without looking up.

"I… uh… I gotta tell you something." Peter managed to push out between clenched teeth.

Tony glanced up at that. "Sure, go on," he acknowledged, looking a little curious.

"I took your suit out… and… uh, well… it…. it kind of got bumped."

"That was you?" Tony asked in surprise before breaking into an amused grin. "Wow kid, there's hope for you yet. Took me a hell of a lot more than one attempt to do that little damage to my suits at the start. Maybe you'll be the next Iron Man too, in your cool spider form."

Peter stared at him in shock as Tony finished setting up, jaw almost on the floor. That wasn't what he'd expected from this. He mechanically made his way towards the plush couch in the room, sitting down without his usual dramatic bounce.

Tony didn't notice initially but soon noticed Peter wasn't chattering away like he usually did. He glanced over at Peter thoughtfully, mind going at a million miles a minute to figure out what was wrong with him. Eventually the penny dropped and he almost swore. He stood up and replaced the lid on the carton of ice cream before moving to sit beside Peter on the couch. If he knew the kid at all, then he could bet his fortune they couldn't have fun until he'd dealt with this because Pete wouldn't get over it. "You know, kid, sounded like a pretty dumb stunt you pulled this evening. You did a really good job of not crashing but you used my suit without permission, took it out and damaged it."

Peter bit his lip but nodded guiltily. "Yessir. Sorry, Mr. S-Stark."

Tony nodded, reaching over to squeeze his knee. "Alright, kid. I think you can do me some corner time while I sort this stuff. Go on, Petey…"

Peter groaned. "Aw, but…."

"Go on, you troublesome little Spider..." Tony ordered, tilted his head toward the corner across the room.

Peter reluctantly made his way over to the corner Tony had indicated. He hated standing here; it always made him feel like he was five years old again. He wrung his hands together anxiously, wondering what Mr. Stark was planning for him. Probably — no, obviously, a spanking, that was for sure.

Tony stayed in his seat on the large couch, considering his options. "Hey, Friday?" he called softly.

"Sir?" the AI responded.

"Bring up footage of Mr. Parker's little adventure tonight, would you?"

"What? But… Mr. Stark, no!" Peter protested in embarrassment.

"No talking in the corner, kid," Tony chided lightly as a holographic screen appeared before him. He watched the footage, almost whistling in approval at how well the teen had managed to navigate in the suit, but managed to restrain himself from applauding. It had taken him longer to get the hang of flying but he always did tell the other Avengers that Pete was going to be the best of all of them. When the clip finished, he hummed thoughtfully and glanced at his watch. Peter had already been in the corner for a few minutes but Tony decided to let him stew for another two before calling him back over.

"Alright, Pete. Come here," he requested firmly, sitting up straight on the couch as Peter scuffed his way over.

"You know what you did wrong, and—" Tony began, but was quickly interrupted.

"Mr. Stark, 'm so sorry! I know I was supposed to stay home and do my work and I didn't even think about—"

"Don't interrupt me when I'm talking, kid," Tony said with a roll of his eyes. It wasn't the first time this had happened anyway.

"Sorry, sorry." Peter quieter down immediately, wringing his hands together anxiously — something that the teenager did when he was nervous, Tony knew.

Tony appraised Peter for a few more moments in silence, brow furrowing as he regarded the anxious teenager in front of him. Why did teens always do stupid things? he wondered. Not that he was one to talk. The amount of stupid shit he'd done at Peter's age was horrifying.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, reminding himself he had a task at hand, he began to speak again. "Like I was saying, you know what you did wrong, and you know that you shouldn't have done it, so we're gonna skip the whole 'making up excuses to appease Mr. Stark' part, which, by the way, never works."

"Not excuses," Peter said weakly, but Tony ignored him.

"I'm proud of you, kid." Tony watched in slight amusement as Peter's eyes widened in shock and confusion. "I'm not proud that you stole my suit, but I'm proud that you were honest with me about it. I know that must've been tough."

Peter shrugged, cheeks a little flushed. "I broke your suit," he muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. "That's not right."

"But ignoring what you're supposed to do isn't?" Tony asked, holding back a smirk. The kid's morals made him laugh. "I'm not impressed with what you did. It was dangerous. You could've been in an accident, you could've been injured — or worse, dead, God forbid — or you could've hurt someone else."

"It's your suit!" Peter argued weakly. "It's an Iron Man suit! It's safe!"

"Yeah, the new ones are!" Tony snapped, standing up, glaring at the kid. "That was an old suit, kid, goddammit! I don't even use my old suits!"

Peter's face turned visibly crestfallen, biting his bottom lip. "Well, I… I didn't know." His voice quivered as he tried to hold back tears.

Tony sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "Kid, I'm glad you at least thought to use a suit because usually they are safer than swinging through the streets with nothing to protect you, but there's a reason that suit was hidden away in a corner. Didn't you notice that I've never used it in all the time you've known me?"

Peter's mouth opened in protest before closing abruptly and he looked down at his hands. "I… you have a lot of suits, Mr. Stark…"

Tony couldn't stop his lips from quirking at that. "Damn right I do. I put a lot of time and effort into improving those suits and modifying them to make them safer and more efficient. If you were going to be dumb enough to disobey me and sneak out in a suit, you should have at least asked Friday or Dummy what one to use."

"Friday wouldn't have helped me," Peter protested.

"I wager Friday did in fact help you, since I wasn't told what was going on," Tony pointed out meaningfully.

Peter's face took on a warmer hue. He had no comeback to that because Tony was right. He had coerced Friday into letting him go out. He looked up at Tony with his best puppy dog eyes. "So… I'm not in trouble, right?" he tried meekly, though he already knew the answer.

Tony snorted. "Don't be ridiculous, kid. Your ass is gonna be on fire by tonight."

"Aww, c'mon!" Peter pouted.

Tony simply raised eyebrows at him. "You didn't seriously think I wasn't going to kick your ass, did you?"

"You told me I'd done a good job of flying it and brushed it off…" Peter insisted in something resembling accusation.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Does this look like I'm brushing it off? Kid, the only reason you don't have a mouth full of vinegar is because you came clean."

Peter's eyes widened in horror. "V-vinegar?"

"Yes," Tony confirmed honestly. He didn't mention that the idea had come from stories of Cap's childhood. "Vinegar. I respect your honesty and I appreciate you coming clean, but you pulled another dangerous stunt. You want to try out the suit? I'll take you out and let you try it out somewhere quiet where you can learn what flying those suits entails. But sneaking out and flying from a high rise building? What if it had malfunctioned? You could have seriously hurt yourself Peter. I'm not going to settle for these dangerous games. I told you that a couple of weeks ago and I damn well meant it."

Peter bit his lip guiltily.

"Look, Pete, I know it's harder for you, because the mischief you get into is usually automatically more dangerous because of being a superhero, and you have your arachnid healing thing going on, but you're not invincible and I don't want to see you get hurt because you didn't listen and learn when I told you not to show off."

Peter squirmed, glancing up at him with wide, sad eyes. "I don't mean to… I just get carried away…"

"I know," Tony replied, tone so gentle that it even surprised him. "I know you didn't mean to. But that's not the important thing here. It won't be important when you're dead because you did something stupid. Do you understand that?"

"Yeah." Peter's cheeks were flushed pink with shame. "I get it, Mr. Stark, I promise."

"I know you do, kid, but that doesn't make anything better." Tony's voice was firm. "So let's just get this over with, yeah?"

"'Kay," Peter whispered. The man got situated before looking up at Peter, patting his knees firmly. Peter gulped. Tony's lap suddenly seemed very daunting.

"Come on, kid," Tony said gently. "I'm waiting."

Peter willed himself to behave and do what he'd been asked to, but this gentler side of Tony had thrown him and he just couldn't seem to make his legs work. He swallowed nervously and glanced at Tony with anguished eyes.

He gulped again, reminding himself that Tony wouldn't hurt him. Well, he would and it would suck, but he'd survive and then they'd be okay again. He trusted his mentor to not be a jerk. He blew out his breath and with one last sigh, slowly closed the difference between he and Tony.

Thankfully, Tony met him halfway and when he got close enough, the older man caught his wrist and guided him down over his knee. "Good job, buddy. You did good. I'm proud of you," Tony murmured to him when he was settled in place.

Peter squirmed, embarrassed by the praise, but soon settled. Once he'd stilled, Tony pulled down his pants and boxers, leaving him bare from the waist down. "We're starting now, kid," Tony informed. "I hope you realize that what you did was inappropriate and wrong, and that you act more sensibly the next time something like this happens."

With that, he brought his hand down firmly.

Peter yelped and squirmed on his lap unhappily at the first few spanks before seeming to steel himself and go totally still.

Tony raised his eyebrows in surprise when he noticed but didn't comment. He figured Pete would come around quickly. He worked systematically, covering every inch of the kid's backside before starting again from the crest of his cheeks. What surprised him was that Peter stayed still and didn't make a sound.

"You hanging in there, kid?" Tony asked dryly, figuring that the whole 'lecture the kid, ensure that he knows what he did wrong' part was coming up now. "Not in the mood to talk?"

Peter shook his head jerkily, a bit sullenly. "O-Ow," he whimpered when Tony landed a particularly hard smack on his thigh. "I just — I said sorry! Why are you — why — I don't—"

"Why are you still over my lap? Why am I still spanking you?" Tony finished for him, knowing what the kid was trying to say. "Because a 'sorry' doesn't goddamn fix everything, kid. It wouldn't have fixed anything if the suit had exploded or injured you. We've talked about this."

Peter let out a small sob, which surprised Tony. They'd done this a few times now, and Tony was pretty sure that this was nearly the fastest Peter had succumbed. It was probably the guilt getting to him.

The older man tilted Pete forward a little and started to target his thighs more thoroughly, ignoring his whimpers. Guilt, he could help with. Stubbornness? Sometimes he wondered.

Peter started to kick, trying to lever himself off Tony's lap. "No! Cut it out!" he snapped in an uncharacteristic bout of teenage attitude.

Tony raised an eyebrow at the change in Peter's attitude. Well, teenagers. They couldn't be explained. He rolled his eyes. "What's up, kid? You got something to say?"

"Y-Yes!" Peter spluttered. "S-Stop!"

Tony snorted. "And why would I do that?"

"Because you're being an ass…" Peter informed him in obvious irritation.

"An ass?" Tony parroted incredulously. "What happened to feeling guilty and full of apologies, kid?"

"I did! B-but… I apologised and you spanked me and now you're just showing off and being mean!" the teen insisted, legs straining against the swats.

"You know what, kid, I think the more you talk the more you get yourself into trouble. If you're not going to say anything worthwhile, then I don't want to hear anything else from you." Tony left it at that, just bringing his hand down as firmly as ever.

Peter muttered something under his breath that even Tony didn't hear; he immediately felt his face heat up as he realise he'd actually gotten away with it. He dropped his head into his folded arms stubbornly and tried to ignore Tony as best as he could. Eventually the older man would grow weary and need a break anyway. Besides, he was Spider-Man!

He managed to stay quiet for a surprisingly long time and was proud of himself for not crying as fast as he always did. By then, he was starting to feel increasingly bad about what he'd called Tony ten minutes previously.

So, he did the best thing he could do in his current situation. "S-Sorry!" he cried again. The burning sensation in his backside was getting to him. "P-Please!"

"You know, Pete, you keep saying that you're sorry, but I don't know if you actually mean it," Tony responded firmly, slowing his spanks so the teen could concentrate on his words a bit more. "What exactly are you sorry for?"

"For breaking the r-rules! And tak-taking your suit and scratching it! And… and for being disrespectful! Shouldn't have…" Peter stammered with his face scrunched up against the burn in his backside.

Tony sighed to himself, nodding in relief. Finally, they were getting somewhere. "You want to tell me where all the attitude's coming from, buddy? It's not like you to snap like that."

"Dunno," Peter choked out, turning his head and resting it on his arms as he cried.

"You do know," Tony responded firmly. "And I want you to tell me."

Peter whimpered and shook his head. "Don't wanna…" he tried again uncertainly.

Tony frowned in concern. Usually the kid told him everything. "Come on, Pete. Tell me what's going on."

Peter sniffed. "I, I just… I'm tired," the teen admitted. "And I feel stressed out. Ned failed a test in school and his parents are r-really mad and I'm trying to help him make up the credits…"

Tony sighed. God, his kid was such a good kid. Wait, no. What? Not his kid. The kid. The kid was such a good kid, always worrying about his friends even when it could get him into trouble. "Ned's grades aren't your responsibility," he told the teenager. "And it's nice of you to try to help, but in the end, there's only so much you can do. You should focus on your own studies too."

"I ammmm!" Peter wailed.

"The main thing here, kid, is that you need to stay out of trouble so that you and I can both be less stressed. You need to stop jumping into situations without thinking, because one day, you might not be as lucky as you have been lately." Tony didn't even want to think about how badly the situation today could've ended; the kid had absolutely no experience flying in one of his suits at all! Never mind an old one at that!

"Okay, okay!" Peter cried out, squirming in vain to try to avoid the firm smacks Tony was still laying down on his backside. "W-Won't do it n-no more! Gonna… g-gonna think b'fore and stuff!"

"I'm glad to hear that, Mr. Parker," was Tony's response. "I'm going to hold you to it. And if I ever find out that you stupidly put yourself in danger like you did today again, I'm going to personally take my belt to your ass. You're very lucky that I'm going easy on you, and that's only because you told me what happened before I even found out. So God help me, kid, if you ever pull a stunt like this again, this spanking will feel like love pats. You understand me?"

Peter whimpered but dutifully nodded his understanding, crying harder. He didn't want to get a whipping! He squirmed unhappily. "'M s-sorry… no m-more dumb stuff…"

Tony nodded with a sigh and after a few final swats stopped. The kid's ass looked sore, and Tony's hand was burning something fierce, so he had a feeling the lesson would stick with him for a while.

He fixed Peter's clothing, resolutely ignoring his hiss of protest, and then helped him to get up. Peter's eyes stayed glued to the floor, one arm going to wipe at them every few seconds as he shifted from foot to foot to try and alleviate the pain. The other arm hovered near his bottom, managing all of about ten seconds before starting to rub the burn in his bottom to try and take the edge off.

Tony, taking pity on the kid, said, "You learned your lesson, pal?"

Peter nodded vigorously, choking on a whimper. "Y-Yeah, s-s-sorry." He gave Tony the most pitiful look the man had ever seen, and the next thing Tony knew, he had an armful of the teenager, hugging him tightly for comfort.

Tony patted Peter's back. "You're alright, kid."

"No, I'm not," Peter moaned pitifully. "My ass is on fire."

Tony chuckled and shook his head fondly. "You're a brat," he murmured to the teen. "No more stealing my suits, okay? If you want a shot, I'll take you out and give you a lesson. I am not covering for you if you get hurt in a suit though, you can handle May…"

Peter shook his head against Tony's chest. "Nuh-uh. She'll kill y-you… hey, Mr Stark?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"You'll really teach me?" Peter asked hopefully.

"Promise," Tony confirmed.

Peter peeked up at him with a smile. "Awesome!" There was a pause before Tony heard a tentative, "I need ice cream..."

Tony laughed, messing Peter's hair before letting him pull back. "You're something else, kid. It's probably all melted by now, I should've put it in the kitchen."

"Don't you have like, an ice cream freezing machine or something?" Peter asked cheekily, grinning at Tony.

"Yeah," Tony deadpanned. "It's called a freezer. You'd probably benefit from one for your ass since you're always finding new mischief to get into."

Peter huffed, rolling his eyes. "Ha, ha, look at Iron Man and his amazing sense of humour."

"It's one of my superpowers," Tony agreed with a smirk. "Now, did you choose a film yet?"

Peter nodded. "Star Wars."

"Again?" Tony asked although it was clear he wasn't surprised and didn't mind. He still remembered when the first movie had come out and always watched it fondly.

Peter nodded innocently and Tony laughed. "Alright, pal. Friday, can you put the movie onto the wall. Thanks, Fri."

"Of course, Sir. Starting the movie now."

Peter got comfy on the couch, grabbing a handful of cushions for to rest against Tony's torso before flopping down and wriggling around until he got comfortable. Once he was settled and the movie started, the room was filled with silence as both men focused resolutely on the screen.

Tony glanced down at Peter as he handed him a root beer, shaking his head fondly. Sometimes, it was easy to forget Peter's penchant for trouble, especially in moments like this. Peter was a handful, but Tony didn't regret taking the kid on at all. After all, it was nice to be the responsible one for a change.

He turned back to the movie with a smile tugging at his lips, wondering if this was how it felt to have a kid brother. Who knew? But hey, if it was then Tony could get used to that concept quite easily.


	9. The Hero Complex

Peter was on his way to school, scrolling through news stories on his phone when a breaking news icon appeared on his screen. He frowned and clicked on the page, gasping as he read about a terrorist attack taking place in Washington. He had to go and help! He glanced around the bus, then peeked in his bag to make sure his suit was there and safe. Glancing at his watch, he made a decision and started to come up with a plan. He could borrow Tony's suit or use one of his jets to get there and go and help the situation because, as the article said, who else could save people if the Avengers weren't there?

Tony hadn't even known it was humanly possible for someone to be this bored.

He had been sitting in this meeting for what felt like years, not hours. Surely, it was nearly over. He glanced at the man who was speaking, and nope. He was definitely not done. Barely managing to suppress a sigh, he stood up abruptly. If he stayed in this goddamned room for one more minute, he was going to suffocate.

"Restroom," he explained shortly to the room when he got stares, and strode off.

He burst through the door, relieved that he had managed to escape, even if it was only for a few minutes, and decided to actually head for the restroom. As he walked down the hallway, he tapped his glasses and asked, "Friday, how's the kid doing? What's his location?"

There was a small pause, then Friday responded, "It appears Mr. Parker is in Washington."

Tony stopped dead in his tracks. " _What_?" He ran his hand through his hair, frustrated and concerned. "What the hell is he doing there, Friday? Pull up all recent material related to Spider-Man." He sighed when Friday did so, exposing to him what he was up to. "I'm going to whip his ass," Tony muttered when he read reports of Spider-Man being sighted in Washington where a terrorist attack had taken place. He watched a video of the kid fighting a few men, throwing punches and kicks and receiving a few hits in return before he decided that he had seen enough. The kid would be in trouble if he didn't receive backup soon; Tony had seen the way he was slightly sluggish in avoiding the hits — chances were he had a few injuries. God, Tony was going to _kill_ him.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he wondered if he should call the teenager and shout at him there and then, but that probably wasn't the smartest idea. It would only distract Peter, increasing the chances of him getting hurt, and he was pretty sure that even Tony Stark wouldn't be able to get out of trouble for disrupting a meeting regarding the Accords.

So, he just massaged his forehead, trying to push away the forthcoming headache and figure out what exactly to do next. He couldn't exactly go to Washington himself, as much as he wanted to, and he couldn't send anyone there instead.

He swore a few minutes later when an idea came to him and shook his head. No way in hell was he calling them. Nope. That jerk had blown his chance helping that ass who'd killed the billionaire's parents…

Tony patted his suit pocket, feeling the phone there that Steve had given him months before. He sighed. This was for Pete, not for him. Peter's life could depend on it. Damn it. He pulled it out and unlocked it, hitting speed dial and holding it to his head nervously. He'd never expected to speak to Steve again and honestly? He wasn't really sure what to say.

The phone rang a handful of times before a familiar voice spoke softly. "Tony?"

"Cap. I need your help," Tony announced without preamble.

Steve was silent for a moment. "What do you need?" he asked in concern. He knew Tony wouldn't be calling him unless he felt he had no other options.

"Where are you?" Tony asked first. "Because I really need you here. I'm not sure if you follow the news but Peter… uh, Spider-Man, that is, well… he's gone off by himself to fight a terrorist group and he's outnumbered and in trouble and I can't get to him. I can't get there, Steve. I've taken the kid under my wing and damn it, I can't do anything to fix it from here."

This time, Steve answered immediately. "We'll go. Where?"

"Washington. I'll text you the co-ordinates. Uh, Steve?" Tony paused and swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Thanks. Really. I appreciate it. Anything you need, I'll arrange from this end. I'll have Friday keep an eye out for anything from you. And I'll try and deal with the political shit storm of you guys coming back."

"You got it, Tony. We'll get the kid," Steve promised before hanging up.

Tony stared at the phone a moment longer before shoving it back in his pocket and groaning. "Friday, I need you to do what you can with the media when those guys show up. Manipulate news stories where you can and try and take the heat off them until I can get out of this meeting and call SHIELD between meetings. Fury should know someone who can help us out there."

"Understood, Sir. Should I notify you of any changes?"

"Please," the philanthropist requested with a sigh. "And send Steve those coordinates. Thanks, Friday." He relieved himself before leaving the bathroom and strolling back to the meeting room, game face in place. He was going to kill Peter when he got his hands on him.

"Shit!" Peter swore when he barely managed to avoid a hit. "Gosh, you guys are pretty good!" He hadn't been expecting them to be so… aggressive. Well, what had he been expecting? These guys had just executed a terrorist attack! He swerved to the side once more. "C'mon, guys, let's settle this simply! How about you guys turn yourselves in and we won't have to do this whole thing where—"

"Shut your mouth, insect," one of the guys snarled, lunging forward with a knife.

Peter stumbled back, surprised at the sudden assault, and he threw his arms up to protect his face. To his surprise, the stab never came. Instead, there was a loud 'clang!' that made Peter jerk violently.

Peter stayed in his defensive position, not knowing when the next attack would come. It wasn't until he heard a deep voice say, "Are you injured?" that he looked up to see Captain freaking America.

Peter's jaw dropped, mouth going dry in utter shock. "I… I… what?" he spluttered. "You… how are you here?" It was common knowledge that Steve was a wanted criminal now; surely he couldn't just be walking around casually in the streets of Washington!

Steve offered him a raised eyebrow. "Tony asked me to come. He's dealing with the politics but he couldn't get out of meetings. Are you okay?"

Peter managed to nod mutely. He couldn't believe he was fighting alongside Captain America!

Steve nodded. "Good. Follow my lead."

"Of course, Sir!" Peter agreed. He was exhausted but the shock and excitement of seeing Steve had renewed his energy now. He managed to fight alongside the Cap, flagging towards the end as someone managed to get a few impressive punches in.

It took a while longer to shut down the situation but soon the terrorists were apprehended and Peter found himself standing with Steve, watching as the situation was contained. He turned to Steve again. "Uh, thanks for your help there. You should go now though…"

"My priority is to get you home in one piece, buddy. I promised Tony," Cap informed him somberly.

"Thanks, but I can take care of myself," Peter shot down. He winced as he moved to step away from Cap and felt a sharp twinge as every muscle in his body protested. He was so exhausted from fighting so many cronies himself that he felt his vision swim as exhaustion assaulted every fibre of his being.

Steve reached out to place a steadying hand on Peter's bicep. "How long were you engaged in enemy fire?"

"I don't know..." Peter shrugged. "Maybe a few hours?"

Steve nodded. That seemed feasible for how exhausted the teen was. "You should give Tony a call, Peter. If it weren't for him, you'd still be engaged with those guys, and I don't imagine you'd be standing on your own feet by this point." With that, Steve held out the disposable cell he'd given Tony the number for and then stepped away to speak to an agent who'd come over to speak to him. He sure hoped Tony had managed to work his magic or Steve was in for a long sentence.

Peter stared at the disposable phone in his hands, biting his lip. He hadn't wanted Mr. Stark to know about this this way. He'd wanted Tony to find out about it after he'd defeated the bad guys triumphantly, not because Peter had needed help!

He knew he was in for it, but he also knew that he was even more screwed if he didn't call, so he sighed and called Tony. The phone only rang twice before Tony picked up immediately. Gulping, Peter said, "Uh, hey, Mr. Stark."

"Mr. Parker." Tony's voice was icy cold, making him wince. "Glad to see that you're still alive and not beaten to death. I assume Cap got to you in time?"

"Um, yeah, he did." Peter lifted a hand to rub at the back of his neck, grimacing when his muscles shrieked in protest at the movement. "A-And we beat the bad guys, so everything's okay."

Tony snorted. "Yeah, kid, I'm sure everything's okay. Not sure if your butt will be okay after I'm done with you, though."

Peter's mouth went dry at Tony's stern words. "Mr. Stark, c'mon," he protested weakly. "I had to! People could've died if—"

" _You_ could have died!"

Peter froze, body going numb at the words, because, well, it certainly wasn't a lie. "Mr. Stark, I…" he said meekly, trailing off when he realized he had nothing good to say.

"I don't want to hear it," Tony said sharply. "We're going to have a little discussion about this whole incident when you get back, and for your sake, I hope you listened to whatever Rogers told you to do."

"Yes, Mr. Stark, I did listen to him, I promise," Peter swore. He would never disobey _the_ Captain America's orders no matter what. Unless it involved Tony's safety. "And I'll thank him for helping me too."

"I'm glad to hear it." Tony sounded weary, and… pained? "Get home safe, kid, please. Don't do anything stupid along the way and get even more hurt."

"I won't," Peter promised.

"Good, because I don't need your death on my conscience." With that, Tony ended the phone call, and Peter pulled the phone away from his ear.

He was surprised and a little embarrassed to find that he was a bit teary at Tony's words; the man had sounded so worried and angry and concerned! He mutely stood there until Steve finished his conversation with the agent, and silently handed the phone back to him.

Steve accepted the phone with a soft sigh. "You okay, Parker?"

Peter nodded but it was obvious to anyone looking that he was far from okay. "Y-yeah. Um, I… th-thanks, for coming to help me. I couldn't have done it without you…" the teen mumbled, head tilted downwards contritely.

Steve pulled his mask off and reached down to squeeze Peter's shoulder. "Look, I know he can be a little sharp, but it's because he cares. Tony thinks the world of you, Peter, I could tell when he called. He's carried a lot of guilt in his life and a lot of regret and the truth of it is that he doesn't think he can handle that with you."

Peter gave another small nod. "I just wanted to make him proud. The news said…" he trailed off and shook the thought from his mind. "I just wanted to help."

Steve couldn't believe he was about to say this but he knew he needed to back Tony up here. "Sometimes, even though you want to help, there are rules that mean you can't just do what you want. I made that mistake before and it's caused a lot of pain and miscommunication. Come on, let's get you back to New York. Tony will kill us both if he doesn't see you're in one piece by tonight."

Peter trudged into the Avengers Tower where Tony was with Steve behind him. "Friday?" Peter called wearily. "Where is Mr. Stark?" He could see Steve jump a little, and Peter wondered how long it had been since Steve had last been in the Tower. Probably a long, long time.

"Mr. Stark is waiting for you on the tenth floor, Mr. Parker," the AI replied. "I have alerted him of your arrival."

"Thanks, Friday." Peter headed straight for the elevator with Steve.

The elevator began taking them up, and there was a short silence before Steve first spoke. "You act like you've been here a lot."

"I have," Peter replied with a shrug. "I come visit Mr. Stark a lot."

Steve just hummed, and the rest of the elevator ride was in silence.

When they stepped out of the elevator, Peter found that Tony was waiting for them almost right in front of the elevator. He was dressed as neatly as ever, in a clean black suit, striped tie, a belt fastened around his hips, and sharp black shoes.

"Ah, Mr. Parker. You've finally arrived." Tony raised an eyebrow at him with a stern expression, making Peter wince, because damn, he was sooo in for it. "And Cap." Tony gave a short nod. "I've invited you here along with the kid to personally thank you for helping him."

"It's nothing, Tony," Steve responded, holding eye contact with Tony as he spoke. "I'm always going to be willing to help."

Tony just curtly nodded again, and there was another short silence. Peter licked his lips, not sure what to say or if he should even break the silence. The atmosphere was certainly tense.

"You're free to linger in the Tower if you need a place to stay," Tony finally said after seemingly communicating with Steve silently with their eyes. "Or you can leave. Whatever's best."

"Thank you for the offer," Steve replied lightly, giving Tony a small smile. "I'll discuss it with the others first." He turned to leave, stepping towards the elevator, before pausing and turning back again. "And, um, about the media…"

"It's already handled," Tony said firmly.

Steve gave a grateful smile. "Thanks, Tony." He stepped into the elevator, heading back downstairs.

Peter exhaled slowly, looking up at Tony. "What was all that about?" he asked, unable to help his sparking curiosity.

"Nothing of importance to you," Tony said firmly. "What is important, is the fact that you put your ass recklessly in danger again." He began to unbuckle the belt he was wearing to pull it out. "Do you remember what I said I'd do if you put yourself in danger again?"

Peter's eyes widened as the belt loosened and then was slid through Tony's belt loops. "T-Tony… wait, I… I… please, not that…"

"What did I say?" Tony repeated sternly, eyebrows raised in expectation.

Peter gulped, stepping back instinctively. "You… y-you'd said you'd… use your, uh, belt…"

"That's right. Those men nearly _killed_ you, Peter," Toby reminded him. "If I hadn't realised what was going on and called Cap, you'd have been toast. I saw the footage, kid, you were flagging before backup even got called in."

"I… I... " Peter dropped his head in defeat. Tony had a point. He'd been totally out of his depth today and he didn't even want to think what would have happened if Captain America and the other rogue Avengers hadn't arrived when they had… He shuddered subconsciously then winced at the pain that blossomed as a result.

Tony noticed and frowned, concerned. "You okay, kid?" he asked, eyes roaming over Peter for less obvious injuries than the scrapes and bruises the teen had picked up on his solo mission. "Did you get medical attention?"

Peter gave a small nod. "I… I'm okay, Mr S-Stark."

"You sure? Who checked you over?" Tony prompted firmly. He set his belt aside and crossed the distance between them, allowing himself to carefully check his protege. "Because you're pretty banged up. May's going to freak."

Peter's eyes widened and he went paler, if it were possible. "Oh God… Please don't tell her, Mr Stark. _Please_ ," he pleaded desperately. She would _kill_ him, especially if she realised why he'd picked a fight.

Tong scrutinised him for what felt like an eternity before nodding. "Alright. You can crash here for a couple of nights until the bruises are on the mend, but then you're on your own. That, however, doesn't get you off the hook. I warned you, Peter. I gave you a very clear understanding of what would happen if you put yourself in danger again. I don't think you realise how pissed I was when I saw what you were up to. And then to see you flagging and know I couldn't come help you? That is completely unacceptable."

Peter felt himself blush and looked around the room. Really, he was looking anywhere that would allow him to avoid meeting his mentor's gaze.

Beside him, Tony let the silence stretch out for a moment, leaving the teen to squirm. He was surprised not to hear any excuses from him, but simply figuring Peter was just nervous. Eventually he broke the silence. "Alright, enough talking. I warned you and you broke the rules anyway. So, here's what's going to happen now; I am going to warm your ass up with my hand and then, Mr. Parker, I am going to wear my belt out on your disobedient backside. You'll be sleeping on your stomach tonight, but it won't kill you. It will, however, hopefully get it through your thick, teenage skull that you _do_ _not_ recklessly put yourself in danger. Because if we keep having this conversation, you're going to _really_ hate the consequences. Do you understand me?"

Peter nodded mutely, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I want to hear it this time, kid."

"Y-yes, sir…" Peter managed to stammer. This was the maddest Mr. Stark had ever been with him and he didn't like the fiery disappointment he saw in his mentor's eyes.

Tony nodded, returning to the couch and putting one leg up on the coffee table. Before he could prompt the teen to join him, Pete crossed the distance in the room nervously and bent over his thigh, reaching down to clutch his ankle. Tony was quite a few inches taller than Peter, meaning the fifteen year old had to stand on the tips of his toes, shifting him off-balance. He squirmed, trying to get used to the unfamiliar position.

Tony started immediately, not even warning the kid. He brought his hand down firmly, eliciting a small yelp from the teenager. There was no hesitation as he brought his hand down on Peter's backside.

"Ow, ow, ow," Peter whimpered, much earlier than he usually started to. Tony wasn't surprised that he was, because he certainly wasn't going easy on the kid. "Mr. Stark, p-please… 's not a warm up!"

Tony raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"This… you said a warm up first!" Peter spluttered, flinching every time Tony gave him a swat.

Tony snorted. "Oh, kid, this is most definitely a warm up. You have no idea." If Peter knew what the belt felt like, he certainly wouldn't be complaining. No matter, he would realize it sooner or later, Tony figured.

Peter dropped his head, inhaling sharply as Tony's hand continued to meet his backside. Tony knew that the position Peter was in was also probably not the most comfortable position to be in, but it was what would work best with the belt. He didn't want to make the kid bend over the arm of a couch or a desk or anything; Peter had always been over his knee during spankings and Tony didn't want to overly distress him by putting him in an unfamiliar situation.

Peter's squirming became more intense, and at one point he almost succeeded in getting up from Tony's thigh. Tony made sure to bring his hand down even harder at that. "Stop that, kid," he scolded. "I don't want you to end up falling headfirst to the ground."

"Then don't spank meeee!" Peter cried out, limbs still flailing.

Tony jerked back, barely managing to avoid getting hit by one of Peter's arms. "Alright, I've had enough." Rolling his eyes, he firmly grasped Peter's wrists in his hand and pinned them down. "You're going to hurt one of us if you keep that up," he told the teenager, pausing in the spanking and taking a moment to listen to Peter's raspy gasps. "Calm down, kid."

Peter sniffled, face streaked with tears, and he turned his head to the side, shoulders quivering. "Sorry," he whispered, voice cracking, and Tony sighed.

"You're alright," the billionaire said firmly, patting his back. "Calm down." When the kid's breathing wasn't as rough or irregular anymore, he said, "You feeling better?"

Peter gave a small nod, hiccuping and squeezing his eyes shut tightly.

"Okay." Tony began to spank again, assured that Peter wasn't going to overly work himself up.

Peter couldn't help but flinch and squirm as the burn in his bottom built, feeling utterly sorry for himself. He felt out of sorts and couldn't seem to stay calm, despite his attempts to focus on the regularity of breathing in and out. Strangely, the only thing keeping him remotely settled was the feel of Tony's hand holding his wrists tightly. He struggled again, letting out a soft whimper. "Mr. S—Stark?" he rasped softly.

"Yes, Peter?" Tony asked with more patience than he felt. Something in Peter's tone seemed different and Tony had a feeling something was going on with the kid beyond his understanding.

"I—I… um… w—water, p-please…" Peter explained. His throat hurt from crying and wailing, coupled with how emotionally wrung out he felt after his fight today.

Tony landed one more firm swat before sighing. "You got it, kid. Friday? Could you get one of the suits to bring a bottle of water?"

"Of course, Sir." There was a momentary pause before one of Tony's prototypes flew through from the kitchen with two water bottles. "Thanks, Friday."

Tony took the bottles and carefully released Peter's hands, unscrewing the lid of one water bottle and holding the plastic out to the teen over his knee. Peter's hands were shaking and Tony quickly realised he'd need to help, lest Peter pour it down himself accidentally. "Alright, kid, easy. You're getting yourself worked up over nothing here. You want to tell me what's going on?"

"N-nothing," Peter insisted, rubbing at his wet eyes shakily. "Just hurts…"

"I bet it does," Tony agreed honestly, although his tone had softened somewhat. "You earned it though. Better?"

Peter managed a shaky nod, swallowing nervously as his brain caught up to what was going to happen next. He needed a reason — any reason — to get Mr. Stark to just pause and not use his belt. Why couldn't he just think of an explanation to make this better. He tried his hardest not to but felt himself tremble a little as he started to think about being belted again.

Tony noticed him tense and sighed inwardly, concerned. He didn't want to scare the kid this much, but he needed to do something drastic to make sure the lesson stuck this time. Deciding it was best to get it over with and not drag things out, Tony put the lid back on the water bottle and put it down on the coffee table then reached for his couch twisted up on the couch, folding it over in his hand.

Peter felt more than saw the action and immediately tensed again, shaking his head rapidly and trying to squirm up off Tony's lap desperately.

Tony noticed the change and sighed, pausing. "Hey, easy. Take some deep breaths, kid. You're alright. Come on, breathe."

"B-but… please Mr. St-Stark…" Peter stammered tearfully.

Tony rubbed his heaving back for a few minutes until he calmed down before speaking in a low, patient tone. "Peter, I know you're nervous and I know you don't want this, but you really screwed up. I'm incredibly disappointed in your reckless behaviour _again_ , and I need to do something drastic to make you realise this can't go on. It's going to hurt, but you'll survive and you'll learn from it and things will be alright," he reassured the teen.

Peter nodded jerkily. "O-Okay. S-S-Sorry." He sniffled, feeling a little embarrassed. It was just, he had never been spanked with a belt before, and that fact was a little daunting! He knew Tony wouldn't hurt him though; nooo, that was the furthest thing the man would ever do to him. "R-Ready now," he whispered.

"Okay," Tony said, glad that the kid was calmer now. He was gripping the belt tightly in his hand now, properly positioned and ready so that he wouldn't injure the teenager in the process of spanking him. "I hope you learn your lesson from this, Mr. Parker, because I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do with you if even this doesn't work."

With that, he brought the belt down for the first time, making Peter go rigid in shock and then let out a howl. Tony grimaced, knowing that that had to hurt. He knew how the belt felt. He brought it down again, a snap echoing throughout the room.

Peter was sobbing again, gripping Tony's leg tightly with his hands as Tony brought the belt down on his backside. "H-H-Hurtssss!" he managed to get out, choking on his sobs.

"I know," Tony said grimly. "It'd better. You will never," he broke off to bring it down again, "ever," and again, "put yourself in danger like that again." The belt landed on Peter's backside yet again, making the teenager wail. "Not if I have anything to do about it," Tony told him severely. "Because you're going to end up dead one day."

"Sorryyyyyy!" Peter wailed. "Sorry, s-s-so-sorry!"

Tony wanted nothing more than to stop at Peter's pained grunts and heartfelt apologies, but he knew that was the worst thing he could for the kid. "I hope so. And you can show it to me by not putting yourself in danger all the time. How do you think May would feel, huh?" He brought the belt down on Peter's sit spots. "If I had to sit her down and tell her you were dead because you think you're invincible?"

Peter didn't answer as guilt rippled through him. Aunt May. How could he leave her alone when she'd already lost Uncle Ben? It was his fault Ben had died a year ago, and now… n-now he was making it likely she'd lose him! He was an awful nephew. A sob ripped through him and his shoulders shook harder for a minute before he tried to swallow it back down.

Tony brought the belt down three more times. "I think you're starting to understand the severity of this situation, Mr. Parker. I will not tolerate it, kid. It stops now." The belt landed four times across the very top of his thighs, earning Tony a sharp squeal. He moved his attention back to the meatiest part of Peter's backside. "And if it ever happens again, just know that this belt will come back again and your sorry ass will be re-acquainted with it. You don't want that, do you?"

"N-No, Sir!" Peter sobbed.

"No, of course you don't," Tony agreed grimly. "So I'm going to trust you and believe that you're not going to do anything remotely stupid or reckless."

"I w-won't!" Peter promised desperately. "P-Please! S-Sorry!"

"Okay, we're done." Tony let the kid straighten up, though albeit a bit unsteadily, and he opened his arms to have the teenager immediately rush into his arms. "Shhh," he comforted when Peter sobbed into his chest. "You're okay."

"It h-h-hurtttts!" Peter sobbed.

"Shh, I know. It's all done now though. Breathe, Pete. It's going to be alright," Tony soothed in a soft tone.

Peter shook his head and continued to cry, making Tony's brows draw together in worry. He tightened his hold some in answer, hoping to comfort the teen some.

Peter's tears didn't quite in the following five minutes and Tony was starting to grow concerned. Surely this couldn't be the result of the belt? Sure, it hurt like hell, but Tony hadn't expected Peter to become this distressed. He sighed softly. "Hey, come on. You're okay. What's going on in that head of yours. pal?"

Peter shook his head against Tony's chest again, holding on tighter to the billionaire's crisp shirt.

Tony's concern grew. Peter never kept secrets from him. The kid couldn't keep secrets; everything showed on his face whenever he tried. Although Tony was much more comfortable with how tactile Peter was nowadays, he felt totally out of his depth now. He needed Pepper or someone here to give him pointers on how to not say something insensitive…

Peter continued to cry against him and eventually, Tony made an executive decision. They could talk about what was wrong when Peter was calmer. He wrapped his arms around the boy fiercely, effectively pinning him against his muscular chest, and began to rock them side to side. It felt stupid to even try, but amazingly it seemed to have the effect he'd hoped.

Peter's sobs eventually calmed down and transitioned into small sniffles and coughs. Tony patted his back, not daring to pull away in fear that he might upset the teenager. "You okay, kid?" he asked softly.

Peter gave a small nod, barely noticeable.

Tony sighed. "You wanna talk about what just happened?" he asked as gently as he could. "I'm pretty sure that although the belt hurt like hell, there's something more that had you distressed like this."

Peter held on tight, biting his lip hard enough that he drew blood as he tried to put his feelings into words. "It was all my fault," he admitted eventually so softly that Tony almost missed it.

"Your fault? We already handled everything, buddy," Tony soothed.

"Not that… I… it… U-Uncle Ben… my fault," Peter managed to elaborate, voice starting to tremble again.

"Kid, that wasn't your fault. That was the fault of a criminal, and that isn't you at all."

"I didn't stop it. I never saved him. Those men got away with it and I… Mr. S-Stark, it's all m-my fault Aunt M-May lost him!" Tears slid down his cheeks silently and he quivered with barely controlled emotion.

"Hey kid, look at me," Tony ordered softly, tilting Peter's chin up until wide, wet, grey eyes stared up at him. "It is _not_ your fault. You were fourteen. No fourteen year old should have to save their uncle from being robbed and killed. And one day? One day I'm going to make sure those bastards pay for it. I promise, Pete. They won't get away with it forever. You, and your Aunt May, you both deserve justice."

Peter looked up at him uncertainly, eyes glimmering with wary hope. "But… I had my powers…"

"No buts, kid. You did nothing wrong. I _promise,"_ Tony told him somberly, smiling in reassurance.

Peter scrutinised him for a long minute before nodding and hiding back against his chest. "It hurts," I admitted softly. "I miss him. He'd have killed me for doing dangerous things all the time… but I… I guess I just need to save people now, because I couldn't… y'know?" Peter's tone was practically begging Tony to understand.

Tony understood, or at least, he _thought_ he did, so he nodded, gently rubbing the teenager's back in an effort to comfort him. "You couldn't save him, so you need to save other people," Tony clarified, and Peter gave a small nod.

With a sigh, Tony let the embrace tighten a little, knowing that the kid wouldn't complain. He understood how Peter felt, more than the kid probably knew. "Kid, your uncle wouldn't want you to recklessly put your life in danger like you've been doing lately." He felt Peter tense a little, and he hesitated before deciding to continue to speak. "I know you live with the guilt of his death, and I know no matter what anyone tells you, you're going to live with that guilt for the rest of your life. But you can't let it influence you or your actions. That's how you get yourself killed, and that's not how you honour your uncle's death. Do you understand what I'm trying to get at, kid?"

"Yeah," Peter said softly. "It's just… hard." He let out a shuddering breath, though the muscles that had been tense a few seconds ago were now gradually relaxing.

"I know, kid, I know," Tony said sympathetically. With a sigh, he gently loosened the embrace but didn't pull away, waiting for the teenager to do that first when he was ready. He wasn't surprised when Peter didn't move for a few seconds before finally stepping back, though not too far away.

Tony offered him a reassuring smile. "You going to survive, spiderling?"

Peter nodded, managing to pout up at him. "I think so. Uh, Mr. Stark?"

"Yeah, pal?" Tony asked softly.

"Thanks. You know, for everything. Uncle Ben would have really liked you…" Peter explained somewhat shyly.

Tony felt a surge of emotions in his chest, arc reactor be damned, and felt himself flush a little. "Thanks, Pete. That means the world. He'd be very proud of the man you're becoming." The billionaire sighed. "But even good men need to rest. I want you to try get some rest, okay?"

Peter pulled a face, sniffing so pathetically it made Tony's insides ache a little. It was like literally kicking a puppy. "C'mon, kid," he said with a small smile, trying to control his emotions. "Don't make me carry you to… to…" With a frown, he trailed off, a sudden realization hitting him. "Hey, you know, kid, you've visited this Tower so often and you still don't have an official room, so why don't we go pick one out for you? You can redecorate and all that."

Peter's face lit up, lips curving upwards and turning into a grin. "Really?" he gasped. "Does this mean I'm an Avenger now?"

"No, it definitely _does not_ mean that," Tony said with a snort. "It just means that you deserve to have your own little space here."

"So I _am_ an Avenger!" Peter grinned, face lighting up as if he hadn't just been howling about getting his ass lit on fire by Tony. "I'm an Avenger," he repeated happily, then turned to Tony, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow impatiently. "C'mon, Mr. Stark, you said I could choose my own room and stuff now!"

Tony laughed, shaking his head in fond exasperation. "I'm not ready to be a total silver fox yet, kid… but there may be an opening coming up in future…"

Peter beamed, nodding. "Sure. Ned is gonna freak. _Come_ _on_ , I need a den so he can come visit me and we can do special Avengers business…"

Tony watched as Peter made a beeline for the bedrooms on that floor, biting back a groan. What had he just gotten himself into? He followed along behind, his genius mind trying to work out the best odds for the situation he'd just brought upon himself. Eventually he realised that he'd have to accept the grey hairs, but he took solace in the fact women really dug the silver fox look.


	10. Nobody likes the new guy

**Hi guys, sorry about the delay uploading this latest chapter... I swore I'd posted but apparently not! Oops. Anyway, hope it's worth the wait and the next chapter is on its way, just needs finishing touches :)**

Peter was in the middle of his bed in his own special room in the Avengers Tower, looking up at the ceiling with a small smile on his face. He loved the fact that he had gotten to redecorate the entire room, even the ceiling! All he'd had to do was tell Friday the designs and layout he was thinking of, and the next day he came in, it had been finished, every inch decorated as perfectly as he'd wanted. Maybe he should try asking Mr. Stark if it'd be possible to make a little station in his room as a substitute mini lab so that he could make web fluid and other things he couldn't make very well at school.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't realized that Tony was outside his room, knocking on the door until Friday told him.

"Mr. Parker, Sir is getting quite impatient waiting outside," the AI mentioned casually. "He has been knocking for the past five minutes and is considering breaking down your door."

Peter sat up quickly, calling, "Come in!" He quickly shot his web and twisted the lock on the door, finally allowing Tony inside.

The man opened the door with a raised eyebrow. "Kid, I swear to god, I'm going to take your door off the hinges if you ever do that to me again," he threatened, but they both knew that he wouldn't anyway.

Nevertheless, Peter nodded frantically, saying, "Sorry, Mr. Stark. I was distracted."

"Yeah, I can tell," Tony snorted. "Anyway, I'm not here because of anything important; I just wanted to let you know that the others are moving back here."

"The others?" Peter frowned, slightly confused. Was Tony getting more workers? Sometimes he wished it was just him and the billionaire; it was way more fun that way!

"Uh, yeah." Tony's brow furrowed. "Have you forgotten already? Steve and the others, kid," he clarified.

Peter stiffened. "Oh, right. Of course."

"You okay, kid?" Tony looked slightly concerned and puzzled at Peter's reaction.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Mr. Stark, don't worry. I'm a bit hungry though, can we get pizza?"

"Of course, pal. Friday will let you know when to come down to the kitchen." Though he still looked a bit curious and suspicious, Tony stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Peter sighed, running a hand through his hair. How could he have forgotten that all the Avengers were moving back in? If this had been a few months earlier, he would've been jumping up and down with joy and pestering Mr. Stark about it for a week! But, oh, right. There was a reason why he wasn't too excited.

Steve.

Peter knew that Tony had forgiven Steve, or at least… they were "working on it," but Peter couldn't just forgive the man for hurting Tony, Cap or not. At least the others had only gotten on different sides over the accords, but Steve? Steve had lied to Tony about his parents' death and that just wasn't cool.

Still, Peter trusted Tony and if Tony said things were okay… well, maybe that could be. Peter wasn't sure. He sighed, rolling over on the bed and absently picking up a comic book from his bedside table.

He read it for the next fifteen minutes, trying not to think about the upcoming changes at the tower, putting it aside when Friday informed him that the pizza man had just arrived. He sat up and sighed. He knew the truth was that he didn't want things to change. He liked the way things were now. He still lived with Aunt May and got to spend time with her, but now he spent a couple of nights a week in the tower as part of his 'internship', which amazingly, May had agreed to almost immediately. Peter didn't even _want_ to think about how Tony had managed that; he was just glad he got to spend time at Avengers tower as one of the guys. And having his room? Well, that was just awesome!

Peter decided that if Tony thought this was okay then he'd adjust to it and give the others a chance, even Steve. Resolve strengthened, he made his way to the kitchen with a smile. "Pepperoni? My favourite."

"Only the best for the newest Avenger," Tony told him with a wink. "Dig in."

They both sat down on the couch, reaching for slices of pizza from the four boxes Tony had placed there. Peter ate contentedly for a while before noticing a stack of extra boxes, and frowned. "Uh, Mr. Stark? What…. I mean, why… you got a lotta pizza…"

Tony swallowed down his slice and steeled himself for Peter pouting at him. "Uh yeah, about that… we have some extras for dinner," he explained casually.

Peter cocked his head at him in surprise, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach. "Extras?" he parroted suspiciously.

As if on cue, Friday spoke. "Sir, your guests have arrived."

"Great, Friday, send them up. Thanks," Tony answered. He turned back to Peter. "I thought we could have dinner together because the others move in. You know, get used to each other a little. You're going to be seeing a lot of them when you visit and I want you to get a chance to talk to them in a non-hostile environment first."

Before Peter had a chance to say anything about that, the lift doors opened and Steve, Wanda, Sam and Clint stepped out onto the floor.

Tony smiled, putting down the slice of pizza he had been holding in his hand. "Hey," he greeted the others. "Finally decided to join the party?"

"We didn't want to come too early and wake you up," Steve said with a small nod, no particular expression on his face.

"Yeah, we all know how long you sleep for, if you even do sleep," Sam joked. "What's this? You ordered pizza? Awww, just for us, right?" Without even waiting for an answer, he immediately snatched a slice up to eat, letting out a satisfied hum at the taste.

Tony rolled his eyes. "I sleep. But I'm usually a little preoccupied saving the world and being the charming guy I am."

"No wonder you don't sleep then, must take a lot of work to be a charming guy…" Clint retorted with a smirk, following Sam's lead and grabbing a slice of his own.

Wanda stood back a little nervously, watching events with a scrutinising eye. It wasn't until Steve turned to her with an encouraging smile and a murmured, "It's okay, we're safe," that she began to settle. She cocked her head to one side when she noticed Peter, who was sat beside Tony staring at the scene in shock, a slice of pepperoni pizza forgotten about in his right hand.

Tony must've realized how unsettled Peter was feeling, because he nudged the teenager, and raised an eyebrow, as if to say, _You okay?_ Peter just smiled tightly back, ducking his head and quickly resuming in eating his pizza.

As Peter ate, he made eye contact with Steve, and Tony, seeing this, quickly cleared his throat and announced, "We have a new addition to the team. This is Peter; I'm sure Steve has told you all about him." Tony raised an eyebrow, looking around the room. "His identity is a secret, so if you let it slip, I will let Dummy castrate you all. Even you." He pointed at Wanda.

Peter flushed, sinking in his seat. "It's okay, Mr. Stark," he mumbled, feeling his face grow warm. God, Tony was acting like an overprotective dad! It felt kinda nice though; it had been a while since someone had done something like that for him.

Tony just rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, Tony? You've grown soft," Sam snorted. He waved two slices of pizza around as he spoke. "You're letting what, a twelve year old join the team now?"

"I'm fifteen," Peter said tightly, but Sam continued speaking right over him, as if he hadn't opened his mouth.

"I mean, I get it, abilities and all, but—"

"Peter can handle himself," Tony interrupted Sam. "You, on the other hand, need some new pigeon wings before your current ones break down."

At the same time, Peter blurted out, "That's not what you thought when I took you and the Winter Soldier on a while ago and basically _won_!"

There was a small pause and everyone seemed to stop. Peter's mouth went dry and he glanced at Tony, wondering if he was in trouble. Surprisingly, the man had a glint of amusement in his eyes, and Peter relaxed, knowing that everything was okay.

Clint snorted and exclaimed through a mouthful of pizza, "I like him! He'll be a great addition to the team."

Peter managed a smile at that, relieved to hear someone on the team didn't think he was useless. He ducked his head again with a shrug, eyes focused solely on his pizza.

Tony watched him a moment before turning back Steve. "Are you guys ready for the big move?" he asked casually. He wasn't actually sure when they were moving in; they hadn't discussed an actual date.

Steve nodded. "Everything's ready. We were hoping to come this weekend."

Peter nearly choked on his pizza. That was like, two days away! His free hand clenched slightly and he spoke without even thinking about it. "Actually, that's no good. Tony, we have that project, remember?"

Tony's brow knitted together in confusion. "Project? Uh, nope, no projects planned, kid."

Peter almost glared at the man, but barely managed to refrain from doing so. Instead, he took an angry bite of his pizza, glowering at the table, making it a point to ignore the confused look Tony shot him.

Steve seemed to sense the tension between them because he raised an eyebrow and said slowly, "We can come after the weekend if that's better; the hotel we're staying at isn't that bad."

"No, really, it's fine." Tony waved him off. "No use spending your time wasting away in a dingy hotel like that. There's plenty of room in the Tower, and Peter and I can work on our, uh, project down in the workshop or something."

"Well, if you're sure it's okay…" Steve agreed, trailing off.

Peter snorted beside him. "It's fine. I don't need help with it anyway…" he muttered.

Tony turned to Peter again. "I'm happy to help."

"I don't want you to," Peter informed him snidely. He grabbed another slice of pizza, glaring at each of them in turn but mostly letting his gaze land on Steve.

Steve started to look uncomfortable after a few more moments of the scrutiny. "Actually, Tony, I think it might be better for us to take a few extra days before we shake things up again."

"Good idea," Peter agreed smugly. "Paying customers are always welcome at motels."

"Hey!" Tony immediately turned to the teenager with an aghast expression. He snapped his fingers to get Peter's attention when he didn't look at Tony and hissed, "That's enough!"

"It's okay, Tony, really," Steve quickly assured, though he had put down his pizza and a look of discomfort was etched on his face. "This whole moving in thing should, uh, be agreed between all of us, you know."

"Listen to the Captain, Mr. Stark," Peter said as nonchalantly as he could. "After all, he seems to think that his opinion is always right, so it must be right this time too." He lifted his stare to meet Steve's eyes.

"Okay, that's enough." Tony stood up, grabbing Peter by the back of his neck and none too gently pulling him up. "Excuse us. We'll be right back." With that, he dragged Peter out of the room.

Peter huffed as he was hauled out the room, trying to protest. He rounded on Tony when the door closed behind them. "What the hell?" He snapped angrily.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Tony shot back meaningfully, offering the kid a sharp look. "What the hell was that all about?"

Peter shrugged, looking away. It took him a moment to figure out what he wanted to say before he wheeled back on Tony. "You could have told me you were playing happy families again, Mr. Stark. They're criminals and you're just welcoming in them and you didn't even tell me!"

"Why would I have told you? I thought you'd be happy to finally meet Captain America and the Avengers!" Tony was barely managing not to raise his voice. "And besides, Peter, you know better than to be so disrespectful. To _anyone._ "

"Yeah, I was happy!" Peter snapped back, ignoring the last bit of Tony's words. "But only until I thought about it more and I realized you were accepting _criminals!_ This is… this is our Tower, Mr. Stark!" His chest was heaving.

Tony looked taken aback by the amount of emotions Peter was showing. They stared at each other for a bit before Tony finally cleared his throat. "You didn't seem to mind before, kid," he said emotionlessly. "We can't change our minds now. And besides, they're not criminals anymore. It's all worked out and—"

"How are you supposed to be _safe_ in your own living space with criminals?" Peter snapped over Tony, interrupting him. "I don't… you shouldn't." He glowered at the floor unhappily.

"I'm safe," Tony told him firmly. "You don't need to worry about a thing. I've known these people for years now, Pete. They would never actually intentionally hurt me."

"Yeah, and I'm sure that was the situation when the Avengers broke up," Peter muttered.

"Don't meddle with things you don't completely understand, kid." Tony crossed his arms. "What you need to worry about is behaving, and not giving anyone that attitude. If you do, we're going to be having a lengthy discussion. Do you understand?"

"What if I don't want to?" Peter retorted defensively, eyeing Tony challengingly.

"If you don't behave in a mature and civilized way, then you're going to be spending some quality time in the corner and then sleeping on your stomach as a result of a sore ass," Tony said firmly. "Do. You. Understand?"

Peter dropped his eyes. "Yes," he muttered sullenly.

"Good. I'm glad we've cleared that up, Mr Parker." With that, Tony placed a firm hand on his shoulder and steered him back where the others were.

When they re-entered the room, the other Avengers tried not to stare at them. Peter felt himself blush a little bit didn't acknowledge anyone as he returned to his seat. He stared down at the couch cushions stubbornly, arms folded in a spectacular display of teenage attitude.

Tony cleared his throat. "Peter has something to say, guys."

Peter ignored him.

"Peter…" Tony prompted, a warning in his voice.

"No, I don't…" Peter muttered before slouching further down in his seat. "Sorry," he growled.

Tony opened his mouth to scold him when Steve spoke up. "Tony, it's okay. He's fine."

Peter risked a surprised glance at Steve and almost forgot that he was mad at him. He belatedly remembered and looked away again.

Tony sighed. "Eat up, buddy."

"Not hungry," Peter announced stubbornly and completely uncharacteristically. He never turned down food.

"Suit yourself," Tony said with a raised eyebrow. "What time do you have to be home by today, kid?"

"He doesn't live here?" Clint asked curiously through a mouthful of food, waving a greasy hand in the air. "I thought he had his own room and everything."

"I do," Peter clipped, tone just shy of rude. "I live with my aunt, but I sleep over and stuff here." He turned to Tony and said emotionlessly, "She's not expecting me at a particular time today."

"Do you want to spend the night then, kid? Work on some stuff together?" Tony asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No. Thank you. I have to do some stuff back at home later," Peter answered. What he really meant, was he needed to see Ned so he could vent about this. Besides, if he went home he could go out on patrol and take his anger out on some jerks on the street. Tony could have fun with his friends and Peter would do their job for them. He nearly said as much but managed to restrain himself.

Tony nodded. "Alright. I'll have Happy take you home whenever you're ready."

"I'll walk. It's not far," Peter refuted.

Tony was starting to feel uneasy but he wasn't sure how to settle the kid down when Peter wasn't accepting any of his olive branches. He tried again. "You know, I've been making some modifications on one of my suits… we could test it out after dinner, before you head out."

Before Peter could answer, Clint interrupted again. "You let a _kid_ fly them? Isn't that a little dangerous? They're pretty hard to control."

"Yeah, well, some of us can handle it," Peter grit out. "Mr. Stark lets me fly them sometimes. Probably helps that I'm able to concentrate on all the things I need to at once." He left unsaid the _unlike you_ that his tone really wanted to insist.

"See? Kid's a genius. Told you." Tony gave the others a dazzling smile and clapped Peter's back, though he gave him a firm warning glare when no one was looking.

Peter glared right back at him but didn't say anything else. The conversation moved on and Pete managed to sit through another hour of conversation with only a few forced answers when he was directly addressed.

Much earlier than anyone expected, he stood abruptly. The others were talking about Avengers business and it made him mad to hear them all joking and reminiscing like nothing had happened. "I need to go," he announced, cutting over something Steve was saying. "I have stuff to do and you guys have a lot to catch up. Guess I'll see you around, bye."

It took all Tony's self control not to drag him back into his seat when the others started saying bye, concern and confusion warring for dominance on their faces. "I'll walk you to the door, Pete," he decided, standing up to follow the teen, who was now strolling for the door having grabbed his school bag from by the coffee table. Damn it, the kid was hard work tonight.

Peter was near the elevator when Tony caught up with him. Before the man could speak, Peter spoke first. "It's okay," the teenager said bitterly, turning around to face Tony. "You can spend time with your friends."

Tony's brow furrowed and he followed Peter into the elevator. "Right," he said slowly. "But I want to spend time with you too, kid. You don't have to leave right now." He was feeling slightly confused — he'd thought that the kid would be ecstatic about having the Avengers back in the tower!

"Uh, yes, I do." Peter scoffed. "I'm pretty sure I know my own schedule more than you do," he muttered as he turned around, pointedly not making eye contact with Tony. "You don't even care much about me. You're just gonna go back to your little buddies the moment I'm gone and pretend that nothing's wrong."

A part of him was telling him that he was being slightly overly dramatic and selfish, but he didn't care. All that mattered to him at the moment was that things would never be the same anymore; he would never have the Tower to just him and Mr. Stark anymore. It was an end to their having fun, watching movies late into the night, playing fetch with Dummy, and helping Tony come up with ideas to help Mr. Stark with the latest inventions for Stark Industries. Even the little things he'd always thought of as stupid, like doing his schoolwork with Tony's help, he was already beginning to miss.

"Hey, hey, don't do that!" Tony frowned deeply. "Pete, talk to me. I'm not a mind reader; why are you so upset?" He was beginning to think that he knew why Peter was upset, but he wanted to hear the kid say it.

"No, I don't want to," Peter muttered, tone outright rude now. He lifted his eyes to glare at Tony mutinously. "You wouldn't understand anyway."

"Peter Parker, cut that out. You'd be surprised by just how much I understand," Tony tried again.

"Oh, whatever. Because Tony Stark always knows best, right? Who cares what anyone else thinks or feels as long as you get what you want. How could I forget?" Peter's posture had become increasingly confrontational and by the end of his speech he was practically shouting.

"Okay, you know what? I've had enough. I've tried to be patient tonight, and you've thrown it back in my face constantly. Take a deep breath, lose the disrespectful attitude, and _then_ talk to me," Tony chided.

"Screw you and all your Avenger friends. I don't need any of you," Peter snapped bitterly.

Tony rolled his eyes and hit the emergency stop button while simultaneously grabbing the kid's arm and pulling on it hard so Peter was bent over his hip.

Peter yelped as his balance was knocked off kilter and tried to right himself but Tony had the upper hand. He brought his flat palm down on the seat of Peter's pants a handful of times, scolding as he went. He was aware that the kid was tense as a bowstring and practically seething, but a bit of the tension did leave him at the familiarity and consistency of the position.

"You do not speak to me that way!" Tony scolded, landing spanks to punctuate his words. "I've had _enough_ of this horrible attitude." He landed three more hard swats, feeling satisfied when Peter let out a hiss in response. "Now, are you going to behave, or will we have to continue this discussion with you over my knee?"

Peter growled. "Let me _up_!"

Tony rolled his eyes and gave him another half a dozen swats. With each swat, he could tell that the stinging in the kid's ass was transitioning into a burning sensation, and knew that he would cooperate soon. "I'm gonna ask you again — what will you do?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm… I'm gonna behave," Peter gritted out, though his tone remained steely.

Tony released the kid from his grasp, pursing his lips in disapproval at Peter. He stared at him appraisingly for a few moments before saying, "What the hell was that all about?"

Peter shoved his hands into his pockets, glaring mutinously at the floor. "Can we start the elevator again?" he muttered.

"Not until you tell me what's going on." Tony crossed his arms. "I'm willing to stay here all night, kid." _Let's see who cracks first,_ he thought to himself grimly.

Peter hunched into himself even more than he had been before. "It's nothing."

"Uh, no." Tony rolled his eyes. "That's not a good enough answer. You tell me what's going on right now. I'm not gonna deal with any more tantrums."

"They're not tantrums!" Peter scowled ferociously. "And it's literally nothing. I don't know why you keeping asking." He sounded mutinously sullen.

Tony just raised an eyebrow silently and headed for Peter, bending him over his knee again to spank him once more.

"Okay, no, wait! Mr. Stark!" Peter cried out hysterically, wriggling and squirming, breath coming out in little huffs as he tried to get free.

Tony paused in bringing his hand down midair. "Are you going to tell me now?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yes! I... just, lemme go!" Peter let out a small sob.

Surprised that the kid was getting so worked up so fast, Tomy released him. "Kid, just tell me what's wrong," he said, exasperated as he watched Peter hunch in on himself once more. Softly, he added, "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's bothering you."

Peter squirmed and chewed on his bottom lip, eyes trained on the ground. It took an eternity but eventually the teen spoke softly. "I don't trust them," he admitted. "I know it's dumb cause you said it's nothing to do with me, but… I _really_ don't trust them. They hurt you. They broke the law. I just… I can't help it, I just feel uncomfortable around them."

Once he'd started, it was like the dam had burst. "And I know that means I lose Tower time. They live here now and you have lots to catch up on and I guess I'm just gonna miss you, is all."

Tony sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "That's what all this is about? Oh, kid..."

Peter tenses, face heating up in shame. "See? I told you I knew it was dumb. I want to go home."

"Alright, alright, calm down. I'm not teasing. I just didn't realise this was going to be such a big deal, I thought you'd like hanging out with them."

"I do. But… that was before they were moving in here. Everything's going to change now," Peter mumbled, blinking away tears.

Tony reached out to pull Peter into a hug. "It won't change things between you and I, or that I care about you very much, Petey. I'm not going to forget about you or ignore you or run out of time for you. I promise."

Peter swallowed hard. "Are… are you sure?" he asked softly, voice cracking a little at the end. He felt stupid for crying over something like this, but he'd really enjoyed spending time with Mr. Stark! He was just worried that Tony wouldn't have time for him anymore.

"Am I sure?" Tony scoffed, still hugging Peter tightly. "Of course I'm sure, kid. Don't ever question me over something like that. You mean a lot to me, and I don't just throw away the people I care about."

Peter sniffled and nodded quickly. "O-Okay," he whispered, letting himself relax and enjoy the feeling of being hugged warmly by the billionaire. "But… Mr. Stark, I don't want you to get hurt by them."

"I won't be." Tony finally pulled away, though he kept his hands on Peter's shoulders firmly. "You can count on me, kid. I'm not gonna let them hurt me again. Does that make you feel better? Me saying that?" When Peter nodded, Tony gave a small nod, looking relieved. "Trust them. Trust me. Alright, kid?"

"Okay," Peter whispered. "Sorry 'bout crying over something stupid." He quickly wiped at his teary eyes, and flushed when he saw Tony's shirt. "And for leaving tear stains on you."

"I told you, kid, nothing is ever stupid if it worries you. This wasn't stupid at all, it was completely valid." Then, Tony's lips quirked into a smile, and he added, "As for the tear stains, it's fine. It's not like I don't have another shirt. Besides, it's just my kid's tears. No biggie."

Peter gave a small, shy smile, and Tony finally allowed the elevator to start moving again, neither of them addressing the fact that Tony had called Peter _his_ kid. They didn't question it; besides, it felt _right._

It had been almost a month since the other Avengers had moved in and things had _mostly_ settled. Peter had befriended Clint and Wanda in particular, and was becoming much more comfortable around Sam as time went on, though he didn't understand the ex-Army man's humour sometimes. Steve, on the other hand? Well, Peter didn't really like Steve on principle. He made a point of being polite and respectful, but only because Tony was like a hawk and Pete knew that otherwise his ass was toast. Mr. Stark would kill him if he didn't make an effort. Besides, Uncle Ben and Aunt May had raised Peter to be respectful and he couldn't just toss that aside, no matter what he thought of Captain America these days.

Today though, Peter could finally get a breather from Tony's constant scrutiny and tough love approach, and it felt invigorating. The billionaire was away at a few days of business meetings and conferences, so there was nobody to get on Peter's case about his grades or his curfew or anything else.

He'd made it through his morning classes without being told off for zoning out or correcting teachers, and now made his way out to the school yard to his and Ned's regular bench. Ever since his run in with Flash at school prom, the animosity between the two had dwindled and they were now able to be semi friendly to one another.

As Peter was sitting at his usual bench waiting for Ned, Flash sidled up to it and sat down opposite him. "Hi, Peter," he greeted easily.

Peter glanced at him before returning to people watching. "Oh, hey, Flash. What's up?"

"Eh, not much. The usual, you know." Flash shrugged, and leaned back against the bench with a deep exhale. "God, I need a smoke."

Peter let out a small laugh, not completely understanding what Flash meant. "A what?"

Flash gave him a look, and repeated, "A smoke." He rolled his eyes when Peter didn't respond, still giving Flash the same confused look and teasingly said, "God, Penis Parker, do I really have to show you?" With that, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, along with a lighter.

Peter's jaw dropped at that. "Uh, w-what? Why do you — how?" he spluttered.

Flash rolled his eyes again. "The 'how' part of this isn't important, Peter. The important part is, do you want one?" He took one out for himself, lighting it up and bringing it to his lips.

Peter hesitated. He had never smoked before, knowing that it wasn't good for him. Plus, he didn't know how exactly his body would react to it, especially with his enhanced body systems thanks to the spider bite.

"Oh, come on, it won't do any harm." Flash sighed and shoved a cigarette into Peter's hands. "Here, you can even take my lighter. No biggie, I've got tons more."

"I… I dunno, Flash," Peter said, hesitating. "I shouldn't…"

"Oh, come on, Parker, it's not _that_ bad," Flash told him with a scoff. "I'm smoking them and I'm not dead yet or anything. Plus, you're stressed and all, aren't you? Of course you are. Everyone is; it's that time of the year."

"I… okay," Peter finally said, against his better judgement. "I, um, I'll save it for later, though." He pocketed the cigarette and lighter, licking his lips nervously as he watched Flash exhale cigarette smoke.

Eventually, Peter got a text from Ned saying that he was being held up in class, and Flash decided to leave his spot beside Peter to go and wash the cigarette smell away in the restroom. So, Peter was left alone on the bench.

He pulled out the cigarette from his pocket, biting his lip as he stared down at it. God, he really shouldn't. It was so wrong for him to do this; Tony would _kill_ him if he did it!

But Tony wasn't here.

No, the man was away for business, which meant that Peter could technically do whatever he wanted. May would be working late, as always, and what could possibly happen? It wasn't like _the Avengers_ would spank him!

Peter pocketed the cigarette, telling himself that he would smoke it later. He had a math test last period, and he hadn't exactly studied for it. Hey, it wasn't his fault! He had got too caught up in patrolling (Tony would kill him for that too)!

Besides, Flash had told him that cigarettes helped relieve stress for him, so maybe it would be the same for Peter. It all depended on how well he did on the math test, he decided. He would definitely smoke some of his worry and stress away if he absolutely bombed it. Peter headed back inside the school with nothing else to do.

He made it through Biology, barely paying attention, then headed to his Math classroom for his test.

As he walked along the hallway, his mind turned to the test he was about to take, and he started to feel a little bit nervous. He was smart and he knew it, and in recent months he'd realized that sometimes that made him arrogant about tests, especially now that he was patrolling almost every night as Spider-Man. He grimaced as he arrived at the classroom. Oh well, it was too late to cry over it now, he thought ruefully.

Peter put his pen down and let out a breath as the teacher collected their scripts. That test had been _awful._ He could usually bluff his way through tougher questions but that had sucked, like _a lot_. He didn't need to get his grade back to know he'd bombed it. He just hoped that Tony wouldn't hear about it, or he'd get a lecture and a half from the older man.

As soon as the bell went signalling the end of the day, Peter made a beeline for the door. He knew it sounded bad but he really didn't want to bump into Ned on his way home.

Of course, he wasn't that lucky. "Hey, Peter!" Ned called breathlessly, running to catch up with him.

Peter muttered under his breath but turned back to his friend with a smile. "Oh, hey, Ned. Haven't you gotta catch the bus…?"

"Oh! Yeah. Um, I better go else I'll have to wait ages for the next one. Is it just me or did that test really suck?"

"It sucked," Peter confirmed with a groan. "I swear Mr. Collins has it in for us. He hasn't even taught us some of that crap…"

"I think that's why it's a pop quiz, Mr. Parker," an unimpressed voice spoke behind them.

Peter turned with a fake smile plastered in face, stuttering as he realised it was Mr. Collins. "Uh, I know that, Sir… I just thought the questions might be, uh, more in line with our lessons so far. No offence meant, sir…"

Mr. Collins raised an eyebrow. "I suggest you two hurry up if you want to catch the school bus. I have papers to mark," he added meaningfully at Peter's mouth opening to correct him.

Peter blushed but nodded, turning back to Ned and grabbing his friend's arm to tow him towards the bus. "Night, Mr. Collins!"

The teens scampered down the hallway and out into the schoolyard so Ned could get on the bus home. "Aren't you coming?" He asked his best friend in confusion.

"Uh, no, think I'm gonna walk. I thought I'd go past the Tower. Clint said something about showing me how to use his crossbow. See you tomorrow? You could come over to mine and we can hang out. Aunt May's working late so maybe you could stay at ours and we can order pizza?

"Awesome! Say hi to Hawkeye for me. And Tony. And Captain A-America…" Ned insisted, stuttering in his excitement.

"Alright," Peter agreed, interrupting him before anyone heard. "I will, I promise. See you tomorrow!"

He waved bye as Ned got on the bus, then turned in the direction of downtown and the Avengers Tower, hoping that the walk would clear his head and improve his mood. As he was walking, he pulled out his phone and texted Tony. _Hey! On my way to the tower, can I help you with one of your projects for a bit?_

Tony texted back almost immediately. _Sorry, kid, I'm in meetings all day. I won't be back until tomorrow. How about you come over this weekend and we can start a new project, just us?_

Peter's face fell but he quickly replied, trying to remain upbeat. _Sounds good! Hope your meetings aren't too boring, Mr. S!_

 _Thanks, kid. I'd rather be hanging out with my fave spiderling. Gotta go but I'll check in later._

Peter sighed and pocketed his phone, feeling even worse. He'd hoped Tony could reassure him and cheer him up after that test and was disappointed to realise he'd forgotten about Tony being away on Stark Industries business this week.

God, this day was really turning into a proper disappointing mess!

He began walking home, hands shoved in his pockets, when he saw a cigarette butt on the ground. He realized that he still had the cigarette Flash had given him, and he pulled it out, along with the lighter.

Peter stopped to stare at it in his hands, biting his lip undecidedly. Now that he was off school property, the chances of getting caught would be small, especially since Mr. Stark was busy. But still… cigarettes were _bad._

"Oh, frickin' hell," he muttered. Ugh, why did Flash have to give him this? Screw it.

Peter lit the cigarette and brought it to his lips hesitantly. He inhaled, then coughed when smoke filled his lungs. Heart thumping, he pulled it away, clearing his throat multiple times. It felt _weird._

He did it twice more until he felt like he'd adjusted more to the odd, new sensation. Clearing his throat and hoping that it would clear some of the misery he was feeling, just like Flash had told him, he began to head towards the Avengers Tower. He would still visit, even if Tony wasn't there.

He made his way to the tower, gradually growing accustomed to the sensation of the cigarette. His advanced senses made him acutely aware of the smoke curling around inside him but he brushed it away. It didn't matter as long as Tony didn't know. Besides, it was only one cigarette. One cigarette couldn't kill him!

When he arrived at the tower, he didn't even bother asking Friday where everyone was. He headed straight for the living space and flopped down onto the couch with the cigarette in hand.

He let out a huff of dissatisfaction when he realized how much he missed Tony's comments and lectures about how important school was and how he was going to get into MIT one day, whether it be by Peter's intelligence or Tony's money. He raised the cigarette to his lips again when he heard footsteps approaching.

He turned his head to see who it was, and wasn't surprised to see it was Clint. Clint was always in the living room or hanging around in the kitchen, digging through the fridge. The man stopped short when he saw Peter, but then slowly proceeded to move to pick up a magazine, though he had an odd expression on his face.

"Back from school, Peter?" he asked eventually, his face still strangely contorted.

"Yep." Peter sat up, fiddling with the cigarette. "Hey, so Clint, about that crossbow—"

"Why the hell does it smell so bad here? Clint, did you put something in the air vents _again?"_ Sam appeared, complaining as he scrunched up his face. Steve was right behind him; it seemed as if they had just returned from a run judging from Sam's sweaty shirt and Steve's slightly triumphant expression (he had probably done twenty more laps than Sam had).

"Uh, no, for the last time, I'm not going to do that again—" Clint began to complain, clearly affronted.

"Clint, you promised you would show me how to use your crossbowww," Peter whined, standing up and almost dropping the cigarette in his hands. He quickly placed it in his lips to dust his hands off before taking it back out. "Seriously, you promised, so when are you going to show me how to use it?" Peter pouted, and headed for the elevator. "C'mon, Clint! I wanna use it!"

He turned around and frowned when he saw the three men's expressions. "Uh, is something wrong?"

Sam and Clint shared an awkward look, debating what to say. They glanced at Steve, who was looking at Peter in obvious disapproval.

Before anyone could answer him, Scott walked in from the kitchen with a plate loaded with nachos and whistled. "Wow, is he smoking? Pretty sure smoking is bad. I thought Tony was a hard ass?"

Clint groaned. "Subtle, Scotty…"

"What? It's true! If Tony was here, he'd point out to that smoking isn't cool," Scott insisted before looking to Peter with a wry smile. "Sorry, kid."

Peter huffed out a breath, although he didn't hold any bad feelings because Scott was awesome. "Tony isn't here. Besides, not like you guys haven't tried it before. Especially _him_ …" he retorted, tilting his head towards Steve accusingly.

Steve frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Oh yeah, I know what you soldiers were like in the war with your cigarettes and your cigars. I bet you smoked ten a day."

"That would have been a little hard with how we were crawling through trenches, Peter. And anyway, this isn't about me. Scott's right, you shouldn't be smoking. Put it out please," Steve ordered calmly.

Peter looked him in the eye and shook his head, taking a long draw from it deliberately. "No." The truth was, it tasted awful, but now that he'd been told he _had_ to ditch it, he had no intention of actually doing so.

"Peter, put it out," Steve said again, straightening up and offering him a stern look.

"No. You're not the boss of me. If you think you can just waltz back after being such a jerk, then you're totally wrong. Tony might let you away with what you did but I won't. You're an asshat and I don't have to listen to you," Peter snapped, glaring up at him.

Silence stretched out in the room at his indignant outburst. Peter stood, breathing hard, then very deliberately took another long draw of the cigarette, looking smug. "C'mon, Clint. Crossbow lesson time, remember?"

He turned on his heel, stopping dead when Steve's voice cut through the lingering silence. "No, Clint. I don't think so. He's not going anywhere until he puts that cigarette out and loses the attitude. Tony wouldn't stand for this and I'm not about to in his absence. I know I was in that ice for a while but I don't remember kids being so disrespectful back in my day."

"Not really surprising given how old you are," Peter muttered before whirling on his heel to glower at Steve. "You're being a jerk because Tony's not here to stop you."

"Uh, actually…" Clint interrupted awkwardly. "I think Tony would be stopping you, Petey. You're being a bit of a jerk yourself."

"What? I'm not. I can't believe you're taking his side!"

Scott spoke across the room, once again breaking the ice with his tactless observations. "Wow, guys. This is awkward. Tony would be pretty pissed to see us all fighting again when we just made up…"

"We aren't fighting," Steve corrected patiently. "But Peter's crossed a line and personally, I don't think Tony would be too enamoured."

"Nobody asked what you think," Peter growled. He huffed. "Tony will back me up. I'll call him and he'll kick your ass for being a jerk to me."

Steve surprised him by calling his bluff. "Go ahead, Parker. I'd just love for you to prove me wrong."

Peter glared at him for a good long five seconds before he let out a growl, barely suppressing the urge to stomp his foot. "I'm not going to call him," Peter muttered, glowering at the floor. "He's in his business meetings. I don't want to bother him."

"If you don't want to bother Tony, the best thing to do would be to behave while he's gone," Steve said simply. "And you could start that by putting out that cigarette and throwing it away."

Peter remained mutinously silent, gritting his teeth. He was contemplating his options; if he put it out, he knew it would be better for him (and his ass) but at the same time, he didn't really want to give in that easily. He wasn't a scaredy-cat who fell over himself trying to obey orders, after all, and he wasn't going to start now. Mind made up, he finally muttered, "You can all piss off," and turned on his heel to spin around and head back outside on the balcony.

He opened the door and stepped outside, slamming the door shut behind him. He frowned down at the cigarette, not really wanting to smoke it anymore but not wanting to admit it at the same time. He sighed and buried his face in one hand. God, how did he always manage to screw up?

He wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there for, outside on the balcony of the floor, when he heard the door slide open from behind him. He knew without turning around that it was Steve. The man always smelled good, goddammit.

Peter glared at the ground. "What do you want?" he muttered.

"Tony's asking for you," Steve said solemnly, holding out a phone to him.

Peter scoffed before taking it and waiting until Steve went back inside to bring it up to his ear. "Yeah?" he muttered.

"Hello to you too, kid," Tony said dryly.

Peter wilted a little. "Hi, Mr. Stark. Did you get a break in your meetings?"

"Kind of. I asked if we could take ten," Tony answered casually. "I wanted to check on my favourite spiderling."

That earned a smile from Peter, who looked down at the ground shyly. "I'm okay though, Mr. S. You didn't need to call…"

"Mmhmm…" Tony hummed thoughtfully. "Nothing you wanna talk to me about?" The truth was, Steve hadn't actually told Tony what was going on but he'd seemed adamant that Peter _needed_ to speak to Tony about something.

Silence stretched out between them for a couple of seconds before Peter spoke. "Steve's being a jerk," he admitted.

Tony let out a soft sigh. "He is? How so?"

"He just… he's throwing his weight around! He refused to let Clint show me how to use his cross now, even though Hawkeye promised!" Peter complained, omitting the bit about his cigarette smoking.

"That does sound unfair, kid," was Tony's response, though Peter could hear a note of amusement in his tone. "Are you pouting now?"

"I'm not pouting!" Peter scowled.

"Uh-huh, okay, pal." Tony clearly didn't believe him. "So, what else have you been up to? Anything you want to talk to me about?"

"No, just Steve," Peter grumbled. "It's not important."

"Hey, don't say that now; anything that has you thinking is important," Tony told him sternly. "You can tell me anything."

Peter sighed. "I know, Mr. Stark. Thanks."

"So, are you gonna tell me what's going on, huh?" Tony prompted.

"Really, Mr. Stark. I don't wanna talk about it. I just miss you being at the tower after school; you're way cooler than Steve."

Tony sighed at that. "Has he really upset you that much?" he asked in concern.

"Not really. I just had a kind of crappy day and I guess he got my back up a bit," Peter admitted. "He just gets so righteous sometimes and it's really annoying. I told him I was gonna call you but then I didn't and I guess he felt he needed to. But I'm okay, honest…"

"If you're sure, kid…" Tony trailed off. "Nothing else you wanna talk about?"

"No, no, I'm good. Thanks, Mr. Stark. Just, uh, come back soon?" Peter stared at the cigarette in his hand, suddenly wanting to crush it and throw its remains down the tower just so that he wouldn't have to see himself holding it.

"Of course, kid."

"Yeah, okay. Bye." Peter hung up, pulling the phone away from his ear. With a sigh, he dropped the cigarette down, not even looking where it had fallen, and then slipped back inside. He found Steve waiting for him, and he dropped the phone into the man's outstretched hand, glowering.

"You had a good talk?" Steve asked in a neutral tone.

Not even pausing to look at the man, Peter stomped over to the couch and slumped down. "No thanks to you," he muttered.

Steve watched him go with an uneasy frown, starting to feel guilty. He hadn't meant to upset the teen. He pulled out his phone and sent Tony a text. He still found it hard to get his head around sending messages visually but he was getting better. _Tony. Sorry I made things tense for you and the kid. I thought it best he told you about the smoking himself but I didn't realise he'd end up so upset._

A text pinged back from Tony in no time. _Smoking? What smoking?_

Steve frowned at his phone in confusion before sighing to himself. Well, that was just great. _I thought that's why he looked so down when he came inside._

 _Cap, what's going on?_

 _I'll call._ Steve sighed again. He left the lounge, not wanting to have this call in front of the kid. He hit Tony's number on speed dial and waited for Tony to pick up. It didn't take long.

"Cap? What's going on over there?" Tony demanded.

Steve exhaled, unsure where to start.

"Is the kid acting up?"

Steve grimaced. "Yeah, although I'd say it's a bit worse than just 'acting up.'"

"Please tell me you were joking about the whole smoking thing," Tony said hopefully, although it was clear that he seriously doubted that it was a joke.

"Nope," Steve responded, popping the 'p.' "I mean, he's stopped now, but only because he's angry, I think. Ugh, god, Tony, he's gonna hate me when he finds out I told you."

"That's not important," Tony said grimly. "What's important is that he's not behaving like he should be. You can gladly tell him that he and I will be having a long discussion about this when I get back. And let me know if he does anything else stupid or disrespects you, okay, Cap?"

"Yeah, alright." Steve sighed. "Sorry to bother you."

"Nah, you didn't," Tony said dismissively. "Thanks for letting me know. Gotta run to my next meeting now. God, tell Friday to order at least fifty cheeseburgers on the day I get back, because I'm seriously craving them. Bye, Cap."

Steve laughed. "Bye."

Tony managed to get away from his meetings early afternoon and was excited to be home as he took the lift up to his floor of the Tower. "Friday? Where is everyone?" he asked as he ditched his bags in his bedroom ready to put away later tonight.

"Everyone is on the common floor, Sir," the AI informed him before adding after a pause, "and Mr. Parker appears to be in a standoff with Mr. Rogers."

Tony groaned, wondering what on earth had happened this time. He nodded. "Thanks, Friday. Don't let them know I'm back, I want to see what's going on first."

"Of course, Sir."

Tony grabbed a coffee in his personal kitchen, then headed downstairs to the common floor to try and break up whatever fight was going on now. It wasn't too hard to figure out what they were arguing about, Tony discovered as he entered the common floor. Peter's voice was mutinous and raised, while Steve's was clipped and terse.

"...don't even care about what Tony thinks?" Steve was saying.

"He isn't here," Peter snapped back.

"Who's not here?" Tony asked, taking a big gulp of his coffee, then wincing, because shit, he'd forgotten it was scalding hot. He raised an eyebrow when Peter froze, looking like a deer in the headlights, and cleared his throat. "What, I don't get a 'welcome back?'"

"No, I, just, I, hi, Mr. Stark," Peter stammered, eyes wide. "Uh, welcome back, I… yeah," the teenager finished lamely.

Tony couldn't help but quirk a small smirk at that. Now that he was back, Peter didn't seem to be so rebellious. He could see why; he was way better than Cap anyway, and plus, Peter was _his_ kid, not Cap's.

"Thanks, kid." Tony plopped down at the table, setting his coffee down. "So, what were you guys talking about? Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

"Nothing!" Peter said a little too quickly.

At the same time, Steve said, "He's out of line."

Tony looked between them, noticing with interest as Peter turned a mutinous scowl on Steve. Oh wow. He hadn't seen Peter look like that in, well, ever.

"Is that so?" the billionaire asked in interest. "What makes you say that, Cap?"

Steve took what was obviously meant to be a calming breath. "He argued about everything while you were gone. First, there was the smoking, then the skipping class, then the ongoing disrespect. Today I asked him to put his own soda can and wrappers in the recycling and he exploded on me. It's not rocket science, it's just being tidy and respecting your surroundings. I'm glad you're back," Steve admitted honestly.

Beside him, Peter scoffed angrily. "No, you've been on my case _constantly_. I came to the tower to unwind and you just talked at me all the time!"

Tony cleared his throat meaningfully. "Why did nobody think to mention the whole school problems at school scenario?" he asked incredulously.

"Because it's not important," Peter bit out.

Tony raised an eyebrow, surprised at Peter's tone. "I'm sorry, are you speaking to me?" he asked, crossing his arms and giving the kid a look. "Because I know that you wouldn't have spoken to me with that kind of attitude."

Peter's jaw dropped, and he spluttered. "What?! That's not fair!"

"Oh?" Tony almost laughed at Peter's feeble comeback. "Well, then, how about you tell me what's fair?"

"What's fair is that you should hear both sides of the story before you decide to give me a lecture," Peter growled.

Tony rolled his eyes and waved a hand flippantly in the air. "Then by all means, Mr. Parker, feel free to explain 'your side of the story.' Although I'm pretty sure there's not much that could help your case, especially after you smoked that cigarette."

Peter scowled and turned to glare at Steve. "You told him about that?! What the hell is your problem? You stuck up, arrogant, self-righteous asshole!"

Before Tony could scold him, Steve answered him with a calm _only_ Captain America could muster. "I thought you'd have shown enough integrity to tell him. And quite frankly any guilt I felt for telling him went out the window after a week of putting up with your childish, petulant attitude. I don't care how many people you've helped, Peter, you're behaving like a brat. Back in my day, kids weren't so disrespectful."

"So you said. Were you such a jerk back in your day? You're head's so far up your ass I'm amazed you could _see anything_ 'back in your day'!" Peter retorted, face flushed and chest heaving.

Before Steve could say anything, Tony stepped between them and held up a hand to quiet them both. "Alright, enough. Peter, you have until three to move your scrawny ass to your room at the Tower. No detours out the window, no defacing things on the way, and whatever you're about to say, I seriously suggest you can it before I lose my cool. _Go_. I'll come and talk to you separately when you're feeling a little calmer."

Peter glared at him, but Tony didn't back down. He raised an eyebrow at him meaningfully. "One."

Peter's face turned a deep shade of pink and he left the room in an angry flurry.

Tony waited for the telltale slam of the door before speaking to his AI. "Friday, is Peter in his room?"

"Yes, Sir, though I am not sure how long he'll remain there judging by his current movements," the AI answered honestly.

Tony sighed. "Thanks, Friday." He turned to Steve. "You alright, Cap?" he asked in concern as he took in the taut lines of Steve's body and the deep, frustrated frowns etched into his face.

Steve closed his eyes for a few seconds and forced himself to breathe in deeply while purposefully relaxing his body. He opened his steel blue orbs again and nodded, sighing. "Sorry, Stark. I just seem to rub him up the wrong way all the time. I just get so frustrated when his mouth runs away from him. He seems to have found more ways to speak to the team disrespectfully than you ever did and kids have changed. I'm out of touch and I just don't know how to respond without making him more mad. I let you down."

Tony rolled his eyes. "You're kidding, right? The only person who let me down, is the teenager pacing his room. The one who broke his words to me, broke rules he could recite in his sleep and who's attitude lately amazes me. I'm sorry you had to witness it. He's normally a very good kid, and I know he's wary after everything that happened between you and I but he shouldn't have spoken to you that way. Is this how he's been acting all week?"

Steve grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, basically," he admitted. "I just didn't want to bother you. I thought I would be able to handle him."

"One day, Cap, one day," Tony chuckled humorlessly, patting Steve on the back. He inwardly frowned at how distressed and upset Steve seemed, and a sudden idea hit him. "You know, Cap, maybe that one day needs to be today."

Steve's head jerked up so fast that Tony was concerned the man had given himself whiplash. "What?" His eyes were wide and he stared at Tony like he'd gone crazy. "Oh, no. No, no, no. This is one of your crazy ideas again, isn't it?"

Tony couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter at that. "I wouldn't say 'crazy,' Cap. Maybe more like… genius? Effective? Smart?"

"Right," Steve muttered, already seeming as if he were bracing himself. "Well, what is this supposedly genius idea?"

"Okay, see here, Cap." Tony placed his hands on Steve's shoulders and squeezed. "See, Peter's been disrespecting you the entire week, not me. Well, I mean, sure, he did have a bit of an attitude when talking to me, but the bigger picture here is _you._ He thinks he can get away with disrespecting you and he thinks I won't do anything about it. Well, maybe you need to show him that he can't just treat people like that."

"And how exactly do I do that, Tony?" Steve sounded weary. "It's not like I can go up to him, sit him down and give him a talk about respect. He'll laugh in my face and walk away."

"Not if I'm there," Tony said grimly. "And we're far past just words, Cap."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Tony began with a small grin at how dumbfounded Steve looked. "Sometimes actions speak louder than words, you know?"

Steve frowned in confusion before eventually shaking his head. "Oh no, come on, Tony, I know I _said_ he deserved some old fashioned discipline but no. I can't."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Tony, I don't think that would help. I actually think it would make him dislike me more…" Steve countered in defeat.

"Oh no, Cap. Believe me, I know that boy. He needs clear boundaries or it gives him far too much time to freak out." Tony reached out to squeeze Steve's shoulder. "Just trust me?" Tony requested.

Steve scratched the back of his neck and looked awkward for a moment before forcing himself to stand up straighter. "Okay, Tony, alright. I trust you. I think you're wrong but Peter obviously respects you so I'll trust your judgement. How should I… uh… well, you know?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Just come on, let's go and have a little chat with that troublesome little spider of ours," Tony tilted his head towards the door before setting off, expecting Steve to follow.

The two men headed towards the elevator, which took them up to Peter's room.

Peter was lying on his bed, tossing a tennis ball up and down in the air when they arrived. When he heard the knock on the door, he huffed. "I don't wanna talk to you ."

"I know, Pete, but we need to talk." Tony stepped into his room, beckoning someone else in behind him.

The teen spied Steve and shook his head, scowling in a display of teenage displeasure. "Get lost. I'm busy."

"You're going to be busy having this chat over my knee if you keep this up," Tony warned bluntly. He was getting fed up of the attitude, especially now he knew this wasn't the first time.

Peter's eyes widened as he realised Tony had just openly threatened him. Anger flitted into his eyes and his posture for a full minute before his ears warmed up and he looked away in embarrassment. "You can't do that," he muttered, even though he knew that Tony very well could. "Not in front of him." He jerked his chin towards Steve, who was standing a few steps behind Tony, arms crossed and watching everything happening.

"Oh? I can't?" Tony raised his eyebrows, letting out a humourless scoff. "Well, Mr. Parker, guess what?"

"What?" Peter asked warily, narrowing his eyes and holding the tennis ball in his hand firmly.

"I'm certainly not going to spank you today," Tony stated.

Peter fought a small smirk, because he knew it wouldn't help his situation. "Of course not," he snorted, "because I didn't do anything wrong." And okay, yeah, maybe he was acting a bit rudely, but he felt it was warranted, thanks to Steve's words and actions. Gosh, the man pissed him off so much!

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily say that," Tony said in a sarcastically thoughtful tone, "but think what you want to think, kid. Cap here is gonna be spanking you tonight."

Andddd, three, two, one...

The bomb went off.

"I'm sorry, _what?"_ Peter spluttered, face going red and choking. "You did not just say that! You can't — he can't — I…" He trailed off, at a loss for words.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "But you being a brat to him all week was okay?"

"He was being a—"

Tony cut him off with a raised hand. "Enough, kid. I don't want to hear it. I've asked everyone, and nobody thinks Steve was out of line. You, on the other hand… seems you made everyone feel a little uncomfortable with your behaviour." It was a stretch, but Tony had read the body language of everyone in the room when he'd walked in to the common area and he didn't think he was stretching the truth all that much. "Added to which, you know better. I know that you know how to be respectful and not rude, petty and outright mean. I don't know what's gotten into you but it's not acceptable. Steve is going to take over now, Peter, and I suggest you behave yourself."

"But—"

"No buts. If you give him any more of your nonsense or I think you haven't learned your lesson then I'm telling you now, Pete, you'll answer to me when he's through. You understand that?"

It took Peter a long time to respond and Tony watched in interest as a host of emotions passed his face. Eventually the teen looked away and huffed out a, "Fine."

Tony nodded, offering him a sarcastic smile. "Good. I'm glad that's settled. Steve." He turned to give the blond Avenger the nod to take the floor.

Steve had been watching silently but now stepped forward, arms folded over his chest a moment before he spoke. "Peter, before I go any further, I want to know where all of this attitude's coming from. We can't move past this if I don't understand the problem."

"The problem is you're a jerk…" Peter grumbled under his breath, thinking it was too quiet to hear.

Tony opened his mouth to scold him but Steve beat him to it.

"You know, Parker, that attitude of yours really sucks. When I was your age, we never talked to adults this way. I get you having issues with me after what happened between Tony and I but this attitude isn't good enough. I've never met your aunt before, but somehow I doubt she'd like it."

"Don't talk about her!" Peter snapped as an embarrassed blush crept up his neck and warmed his face and he stood defensively, hands clenched.

"Peter." This time it was Tony's voice cutting through the room like a knife. Peter gulped. Tony using that voice never boded well. He dropped his gaze to his hands and willed himself not to lose his cool.

Steve sighed. "What I'm saying is that you're better than this. You're smart and kind and compassionate and not petty or rude or mean. I'd heard so many great things about you from Tony, he can't stop singing your praises normally. And yet all I've experienced is this side to Peter Parker, and I gotta say, I'm not a fan so far. I really hope we can get past this and I can meet the Peter Parker who is worthy of the Avengers title and responsibility." Steve knew it was a little harsh to mention the Avengers but he needed to do _something_ to get Peter to see the bigger picture. Tony was right, Steve had a duty of care to this teenager from Queens. He couldn't just let this slide but Peter wasn't going to back down easily.

Peter didn't exactly look thrilled, but he dropped his head in defeat, realising when he was beat.

Steve watched him a moment before continuing quietly. "You understand why you're in trouble?"

Peter gave a jerky nod. "Yeah."

"Alright. Actions have consequences. Hopefully this'll play some part in helping you to make wiser choices in the future." With that, Steve took a seat on Peter's bed.

Peter froze when Steve did so, body suddenly going stiff and unable to move out of pure disbelief that this was really happening. He could feel both Steve and Tony's gazes burning into him, and he knew one way or the other, this was going to happen, but seriously? This was Captain freakin' America! America's patriotic symbol, a hero, an Avenger, and he was going to _spank_ Peter?! That was just… God.

"Peter." Tony cleared his throat meaningfully, and tilted his head towards Steve's lap. "This isn't your first time."

Peter flushed at that, unable to stop himself from shooting Tony a slightly dirty look for his comment. The man raised his eyebrows sternly in return, and Peter knew not to push it. Instead, he turned his attention back to Steve, who was waiting for him patiently, and gulped. Licking his lips nervously, he stammered, "I… I don't think this is completely n-necessary…"

"Stop stalling." Tony's tone told him that they weren't fooling around.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Peter slowly made his way forward until he was standing directly in front of Steve. "Do we have to?" he whispered, voice cracking at the end as a result of nerves.

"Yeah, Peter, I think we do." Steve's tone was firm, and his answer came out honestly and without any hesitation. "I don't think you understand how seriously we have to do this. Because if this is the only way we can make amends and understand each other, then I goddamn will do it."

Peter gulped at the honest words and looked up at Steve with wide eyes. He so wished he hadn't been such a jerk to Steve now. He dropped his gaze again and squirmed.

Steve patted his lap meaningfully and waited to see if the teen would manage to go over his knee by himself or if Steve would have to do it for him.

Silence hung heavily in the room while everyone stayed still and all eyes remained on the teenager. Peter didn't think his face could get any redder if he tried. It took an eternity, but eventually he managed to force himself forward so that he was bent over Steve's lap awkwardly. He groaned as Steve shifted him so that his hands were on the floor, not the bed, and Peter's backside was in an upsettingly effective position to be disciplined. It knocked his balance off and made him feel all of about six years old.

Steve gave him a minute to adjust to the new position he was in before wrapping one arm around the teen's waist to keep him in place. He'd found himself in this position plenty, even as a teen, often when Bucky had had to save him from whatever fight he'd gotten himself into that day.

He raised his right hand and brought it down firmly, earning a surprised grunt from Peter. Satisfied it was a reasonable force, he swatted down again. Initially he kept his pace slow to allow Peter time to get used to what was happening, but he soon settled into a brisk rhythm of sharp swats in a predictable pattern that he knew would likely drive the teen nuts. That's what Buck had done when Steve was the one in trouble, and the blonde had hated being able to predict where his hand would fall next without being able to stop it from happening.

Peter stayed still for the first few minutes but was soon kicking and squirming unhappily. He was determined now to cry or plead but the Cap's hand _hurt._ Him and his stupid super strength. Somehow he was able to convey all his disappointment at Peter's behaviour in each individual swat. Peter didn't think anything could be worse than a spanking from Tony, but the Cap's hard hand was coming a close second.

Before long, a telltale sniffle sounded in the room. Steve sighed to himself, relieved to see they seemed to be making progress. It didn't stop him from landing more firm, open palmed swats to the kid's backside and thighs though.

He spoke quietly. "Alright, Parker. Why are we here?"

"Be-c-cause… because you suck…" Peter answered trying not to let his voice wobble obviously.

Steve had to smile; at least the teen was being honest. A quick glance at Tony's expression and Steve knew that wasn't what his friend thought. "Try again. And be careful what you say next; I can keep this up longer than you can Peter."

A huff greeted his words, followed by silence, but eventually Peter answered more sincerely. "Because I've been a jerk to you all week while Tony was away."

"Since you met me," Steve corrected before continuing. "But yes, that's right. Peter, I understand your wariness of me. I don't blame you for feeling uneasy and a little suspicious because in your shoes I'd be the same. The thing is, regardless of which side of the Bucky debate you're on, I did what I believed was right, and I still stand by that decision. I'm deeply sorry that it led to the Avengers being separated and that it hurt my friends, but I've always stuck by what I think is the right thing to do and I'll continue to do that even if it's not the most popular choice. It's how I'm wired. The thing is, you _weren't_ just doing what you thought was right. You were rude, argumentative and downright disobedient. That isn't how the Avengers behave."

Peter drew breath across his lap, tensing, and Steve knew he'd struck a nerve. It took seconds before Peter was protesting again. "Avengers don't just abandon each other either!"

Steve sighed. "Peter, do you trust Tony?"

"Yeah. Course I do…" Peter answered immediately.

"Then trust his judgement. This stuff is between me and Tony. It's our job to fix it and get past it and nobody else's. Trust him to handle this."

Peter opened his mouth to protest but eventually closed it and hung his head. There was nothing he could say in defence to that, so he remained petulantly silent. Besides, no matter how much he didn't want to admit it, Steve did have a point. What had happened in the past was between Steve and Tony, and any reasonable person would agree with that. That didn't mean he liked it, though.

Peter couldn't help the stifled sob when Steve didn't let up with the spanking, continuing to bring his hand down firmly on his backside, steadily lighting up a fire. "Stop!" Peter cried out eventually in protest, wriggling. "I'm sorry! There! Is that what you want?"

"What I want is an apology that has meaning behind it, rather than one thrown out carelessly," Steve informed him sternly. The blonde paused long enough to shift him so his upper body lay on the bed, then started again.

Peter let out a groan of complaint, fisting his hands in annoyance. "Mr. Stark!" he wailed, complaining, hoping that Tony would come save him from Steve's wrath.

"Oh no, kid. I'm not going to save you," Tony answered without question. "You chose to act the way you did. This is between you two. But for the record? I agree with him. Don't apologise unless you mean it, kid."

Peter huffed, burying his face into his folded arms miserably. He'd thought being in trouble with just Tony sucked, but Steve doing _this_ while Tony frowned at him in disapproval was far more worse.

The combination of their disappointment and the ever-building sting in his backside soon drew genuine tears but he stubbornly stayed quiet trying to keep them silent. They'd already rejected his apology so he resolved to not say anything at all and not to embarrass himself more.

Steve spanked silently for a while longer, hoping they'd be finished soon because he really didn't like upsetting the teen. He also did wanted to point out to Tony that the billionaire hadn't told him how damn stubborn the kid was. Most teens would have given in by now. Steve had been stubborn at Peter's age, determined to compensate for his lack of physical strength, but he'd have backed down by this point. Captain America really hoped that after this they could move on and start to work towards some semblance of friendship.

It wasn't until Peter began to sob harshly that Steve slowed down in his firm spanks. "How are you doing, Peter?" he asked, feeling a little concerned. The kid's ass was red, and he seemed to be feeling genuinely repentant now.

Peter just turned his face into his elbow in response to the question, feeling embarrassed that he was being spanked, never mind crying, in front of Captain America.

Steve seemed to understand, for he didn't push the matter any further. Instead, he just paused, allowing Peter to shudder with sobs on his lap, and gently said, "Do you have anything to say to me, Peter?" Unsure that he was doing the right thing, he glanced up at Tony. To his relief, the man gave him a short nod. He looked back down at the crying teenager, and sighed. "Peter?" he prompted once more.

"S-Sorry," Peter choked out through his tears, voice muffled from hiding his face. "So-sorry. Won't b-be dumb 'gain."

"Hey, you're not dumb. You're a teenager, and teenagers have a whole load of hormones and emotions to deal with at breakneck speed. I know it's hard to believe but I was a teenager too once," Steve assured him, relieved when Peter's tears slowed and he made a sound suspiciously like a snicker.

The older man sighed and moved his now warm hand to pat the kid's back in comfort. "But seriously, I forgive you. How about we start again? Clean slate, fresh start. I think we could both do with one of them."

Peter sucked in a shuddering breath and nodded, wiping at his still streaming eyes with his now damp hoodie sleeve. "Yes p-please…"

"Alright. I'd like that. Come on up whenever you're ready," Steve assured him softly. He felt very out of his depth now that it was over with.

Across the room Tony gave him a nod of approval, letting him know he was doing just fine.

Steve inwardly sighed but relaxed, relying on his instincts to help him. Eventually he felt Peter squirmed and decided it was time to help him up. He stood Peter up then stood to join him, pulling him into a strong hug. "You alright, Parker?"

Peter gave a shaky nod, wiping away a few stray tears. "Y-Yeah."

"Good man. How about some ice cream, kid?" Tony suggested from across the room.

Peter didn't answer, his eyes dropping to the floor instead.

Tony frowned. "Peter?"

"Yes sir?" Peter asked without moving his head.

Tony sighed to himself. "Hey, look at me, kid," he ordered softly.

Peter dragged his eyes up to Tony's face, taking an instinctive step towards Steve.

Tony swallowed back his surprise. "Hey, what's going on it that head of yours, huh?"

Peter shook his head with wide eyes.

Tony opened his arms out to the teen. When Peter didn't move, Steve gave the kid a nudge across the room until he was encompassed in Tony's arms a little awkwardly. "Talk to me, Petey. What's wrong?"

"You're… you're mad. You let him…" Peter trailed off.

Tony nodded. "Yeah, I did," he agreed. "You misbehaved, kid, and you and Steve needed to hash this out. If not, we'd end up right back here, Pete. But I'm not mad. You were pretty good for Steve and you settled down when I told you to, so as far as I'm concerned, it's done. I forgive you too. Now how about some ice cream, huh?"

Peter nodded, giving him a shy smile. "Baked Alaska?"

Tony chuckled. "I ordered more on my way home. C'mon."

Peter nodded with a smile, then turned back to glance at Steve.

Steve nodded with a smile. "Baked Alaska is good. Maybe we could have a bit of an ice cream war, huh? See who goes the longest without brain freeze…"

Peter grinned at that, nodding eagerly. He set off for the common area ahead of them, almost tripping over his feet in his enthusiasm.

Tony watched him go with a laugh and turned to Steve. "Think you'll bounce back as fast as him?"

"Probably not," Steve admitted in amusement, shaking his head. "Kids these days…"

"You got that right, Cap. But any man who can challenge that kid to an eating contest and hold his own will earn hero status in his eyes. I think you two are gonna be just fine," Tony answered with a smirk as they followed Steve out to the chaos they could hear in the common area as Peter set up their ice cream battle ground. It was good to be home.


End file.
